There is a saying in Farsi; they wouldn’t let someone in the village so he asked to be the Mayor! The big battle cry of the Republicans is always smaller government yet they want to close down the UN and IAEA and make the US government the governing body of the world! Now that the critics of the Iran Deal have exhausted all arguments and no one is refusing to testify or taking the 5th they are dusting off their old “alternate” proposals which says Iran should recognize Israel, stop chanting death to America, stop human rights violations, allow free press, democracy, etc. All good things but not going to happen in a jiffy, you need to enter the village first before asking to be the Mayor or in this case the President of the United States!
During the past two years of negotiations the main concern was really the Iranians and if they’d accept a deal not the other way around. Now that the Republican Congress has turned the hearings into a circus the Iranians have no problem showing the circus live on national TV, not to mention than if it’s not on the government owned TV stations the VOA or BBC are allowed to show the hearing in full digital 1080P!
The more Republicans grieve or as we say in Farsi; tear their shirt collars in anger, the more confident Iranians become of the deal. It’s like going into a used car dealership and after signing the deal watching the salesman crying and cursing in anger! That makes you feel better if instead you saw him dancing Baba Karam!
The deal is already working when a conservative newspaper is banned and others like ultra conservative Kayhan warned. While closing liberal or reformist newspapers has been the modus operandi for as long as it’s been, warning a conservative newspaper that there is an eyebrow above their eye, much less closing them is a first! The fear is no longer if the deal fails it’s more about if the deal works! Before Iran receives a penny from sanctions relief the region is in a failed state. If the situation improves it will be because the Iran Deal was signed.
The Republican comedy tour will continue and the American Ahmadinejads will humor us. There are rumors that he wants a comeback but it’s just a rumor like Zarif’s son was the best man for John Kerry’s son-in-law!
Photo caption: a village by the Caspian
