Misc

Google

This belongs to the Google Talk series. It is at Google. He makes a lot of sense, which is a good thing.

Iranian reader,

I'm not sure, but it could most probably be in an English speaking environment!

I hope my answer has satisfied your curiosity!

question

Does anyone know where Milani is giving this talk?

We need a "Solidarnosc" Mouvement in Iran

What Milani suggests I believe and hopes for is that Iran clearly needs to see a social and political mouvement within Iran that could slowly but gradually bring about a strong coalition that would enhance Iran's civil society. I think that the Iranian Diaspora can at best give voice to this mouvement and rally it to the ears and eyes of the international media. The Iranian Diaspora has the possibility of offering a platform to dissidents and human rights activists. I think that the example of Poland during the Lech Walesa years and how it crystalized a civil dissobedience against the government of Jaruzelski and its strong Soviet Ally.

The Key is to enforce Civil Society in Iran and I think that Iranians of the Diaspora can do Much, Much more than support Iran's Soccer Matches or organize Mehregan events sporadically each year.

Human Rights and Democracy have to become a motto of such a mouvement. But Non Violent and an intelligent approach to the problem can appear if the channels of communication between the Intelligenstia and activists in Iran and outside Iran can be encouraged by various medias and public events of mutual support. This can even transcend political idealogies by a common stance in regard to Human Rights and Democratic requirements.

Who thinks

That Mr. Milani works for the Iranian cause? Really! He has sold himself as he did many times in his life. He doesn't have a stable mind and flip flops based on which side the wind is blowing.
His knowledge of Iran is worth pashiz, if even. He got lucky to be in Stanford, just because he was in the Prison during the Shah, without having an ideology! similar to now.
In any other country or nationalities, people as such are called "Kha'en".

Mr. Kadivar might be right to call him an intellectual, from a book writing perspective. I have read his Tails of two cities and liked his style. But he is what he is, and he is not a mind that knows what freedom is otherwise he would've not join the Conservative Think tank, the hoover institute.

Selective Amnesia

It seems to me that Mr. Milani has selective amnesia. It's documented he was a collaborator within the now deposed Shah's regime and helped Savak by naming names.
But he's old enough to remember the status of this so called "vibrant" society that he talks about. Under his beloved Shah, there was no vibrant society. It was annihilated totally and brutally. The Shah said "if someone doesn't like what he does, his passport is ready and he can go anywhere he want."
He talks like if there was no corruption before the revolution. He ignores the fact that one of the main reasons for this revolution was the Shah's regime which was brutal and corrupt to the core.
One could argue with Mr. Milani that how come under the current clerical regime there is such a vibrant civil society. How come we didn't have it before the revolution. Perhaps the revolution was not that bad after all.
Lastly, the main objective of every regime, being democratic or not, is self preservation. One could not blame the clergy for doing exactly what every other regime in the world does, including the Israeli regime. For many decades they were shut out of the political establishment by the forces of modernity and secularism. It would be very had to force them out again.

He missed the point

He is too convinced that Iran's ruler are not sane.
What Iran is doing is a self preservation. they have seen what happened to Iraq and what did not happen to Russia. he just missed it.

The title should be "Nukes, (insane, psychotic)CROOKS and...."

Really excellent lecture.

Two points though.
One, a coalition is ideal, but it takes enormous amount of time and "The West" doesn't have that many coalition governments because of the perception of "weak government" let alone a people under the experience of an absolute power of theocracy for decades.

Two, Iranians may well be quite secular at the moment, but Iranian people, yes, I'm generalising but only for getting my point across, are deeply superstitious, ritualistic people on the one hand and often unbearably materialistic on the other.

One of the Wisest Iranian Intellectuals today

Dr. Milani is certainly one of the great writers and profound intellectuals we have today. His latest Book is Eminent Persians available on amazon about the important figures in society in Iran before the Revolution:

http://www.iranian.com/main/blog/darius-kadivar/eminent-persians-abbas-milani-interview-voa

F.Kashani

If you happen to watch this clip, it proves what I've said before, that west must leave Iran alone and let grand people of Iran take care of their own democracy, British and American interventions have hurt Iran and Iranians. They have kept us from acheiving democracy and prosperity and it has not been by accident. Foreign interventions in the last 150 years have cornered people , radicalized their movement, and pushed them toward clergy. I have not met Dr.Milani, but seems like we have reached same conclusion.

regim

Shah Hossein 

Look every country needs a goverment and a regime to provide them with security,safty,order,clean water,hospitals,schools,jobs and this guy is not talking about any of this he keep saying the government is corrupt which government in this world is not corrupt.Do we in Iran have to bring angles from haven to run our government.everyday we here about American and Israeli politations going to jill for coruption.He is too hard on Iranian regime.