KNOWLEDGE

Let's not forget

Let's not forget that it was Bush administrations pressure on Iran (and those of some EU countries and even the IAEA) that stopped Iran's nuclear weapons program. Without that pressure, the possibility of war and devastation for Iran would be real as those demagogues dream of possesing these weapons (not for show but for use). So, if the Iranian regime has suspended this program and has thus beden brought down to its knees, (it could begin it again at any time, as some of the compoents of the program have not been suspended, ie the uranium enrichment part, amongothers) I salute all those who pressured the Iranian authoritarian regime. This also shows that the only instrument that works with the regime in Tehran is force and threats, not diplomacy or reason.

Why must we choose martyrdom everytime?

Unfortunately, too much crying for Imam Hussein coupled with a death-wish or “shahadat” that is inherent in our predominantly Shia culture has brought our country to this juncture in history. Hoder has used emotional dramatizations as substitute for rational discourse.

There is no doubt that Dr. Mossadegh was an Iranian nationalist that wanted the best in his heart for his country and his people. But historical facts tell us that the late prime minister was also an unrelentingly hard-headed, unyielding and rigid individual that always had to have his own way. So much so that he would rather die – shahid - than to give an inch. The question is had Dr. Mossadegh been more flexible and compromising in his dealings with the west, would Iran have been a different country today. What if Dr. Mossadegh had understood the reality of the day and had acted with more finesse and diplomacy? Why did he choose shahadat?
Had there not been a coup in 1953, would Iran have been on a different path today?

In 1979, another nationalist prime minister took power. Dr. Bakhtiar promised what every one of us had been wishing for. He promised a new and free Iran. What he was offering to people were exactly the reasons that people took to streets. Not only Khomeini rejected his offer but so did most intellectuals. Why couldn’t we have accepted a very attractive middle-ground solution? Why did we choose shahadat instead, so we can make a point against the regime?
What would have our country looked today had we continued with Bakhtiar?

We should not be naïve in our dealings with western countries. But, the alternative does not have to be a win-lose outcome with us being the loser every single time.

Take it easy!

Dear hoder

 You're writting and article in this case, is honest but yet too emtional. We live in a very globalized world. This globalization statred many centuries ago and today the West has the know how.

The best Iranian brains are working for the best Western and specially US companies, they teach in their universities, they are part of this globalized world. As an Iranian you should see all the things wrong with your own nation and then blame the world. Your Islamic republic is a disgrace for all normal Iranians and a bigger disgrace to everyone else on this planet. You, have left your country behid to have a better life in the West (am I wrong?) You're not there doing anything for your country. Therefore, take it easy and try seeing the whole picture in a three-dimentional way.  You're just seeing 'one' dimension right now.

Take it easy

Which knowledge? Which

Which knowledge? Which power? Do Pakistan and India have any power or real saying on this planet compared to the West? What about South Africa? 

When Iran is not capable of refining its own oil and imports more than 45% of its own gas, you've got an issue.

Nuclear know-how does not guarantee any status.

Khodadad, Hossein's point is

Khodadad, Hossein's point is that the project of modernity which was founded on a certain definition of reason, was inherently a carrier of a certain type of hegemonic knowledge that led to the rethinking of human subject and its consequences.

Rejecting that meta-narrative of modernity is not getting into another box, as you are suggesting.

In other words, the project of Modernity can not be detached from its consequent process of colonization.

After all, based on the same "reason" women and the blacks were seen as irrational or unequally incapable of using reason. That's not just an accident, it was all part of that type of thinking.

This is a typical pseudo-intellectual of the third kind!

Hoder's article is pretty typical of those who think that everythng their government does has some wisdom behind it and that they "win" all the time. I recall when the Iranian children were being mowed down in droves by Saddam's army, Khomeini kept on saying "we are winning!!" Yes, according that logic, every day when our children were killed in the deserts of the South, we had won because we said no to diplomacy, world politics, and opted to simply defy the world and be stubborn. At the end, when he drank from the posison chalice, he declared that he had won nonetheless! You see, Iran's government always says it is winning, even if it is losing terribly. This writer, to, is obviously quite uninformed about history or world politics, and sees the world through the same prism as most Iranians do: to close your eyes and act tough for no reason at all. It is easy to simply use stale empty rhetoric about the "Whie Man's" crimes but it is useless. Hanaye een adamha deegeh rangy nadareh. These voices ae from the ignorant past and anyone who belives their angry shallow characterization of facts will have missed an opportunity to explore the true issues of the Iranian nation. NO ONE has won. Winning requires an affirmative effort. They (the Iranian Government) did nothing. In fact, they coud have saved themselves and the Iranian nation several years of headaches and international infamy by simply allowing the inspectors in, in the first place. Worse of all is that they now claim victory based on a report by an American intelligence group. I thought they did not trust the Americans. Now suddenly they believe one segment and beat the other segment with that?
This is such a wasteful misdirected way to react to these news. All I can say is: get up and do something productive instead, like go take a short walk, get some fresh air, or something!

Thank you for nice analysis;

Thank you for nice analysis; Western Diplomacy is a trap for developing countries.

People Won Not IRI

I think if we can call this a victory, it is a victory for the people of Iran for hopefully avoiding a potentially devestating war. It is NOT a victory for the government of Iran - definitely not a victory for Ahmadinejad and his "hardliner" mob. If anything, thos guys would have loved a war. They know deep down that they can't ever truly succeed so becoming a martyr is a great solution for them. The "hardliners" are of the philosophy of domination. They can only dominate (or be dominated). They are the only group that is rightious so others must be anhilated. They keep looking for reasons to start a fight because that's the only way they can survive at all. Lets piss off the West. Let's piss off Israel. Why don't they improve conditions in Iran instead? They cannot allow progress in Iran because it goes against their very basic beliefs. So how could this be a victory for them?

Too far

Woopsy daisy! Hossein Jaan, aziz jaan. You are now reading way TOO far into the alternative reading of the western intellectual history. Yes, I know, many have talked about (and aganist) the Europeanate creation of the so-called "course" of history and the essentially logical progression of its intellectual ideas and ideals. But you are now bending too much the other way around. Whoever has come up with many of the points of what you now mockingly call knowledge (daanesh), it does not mean that they have a monopoly of it. Yes, the Western intellectual millieu of the 19th century and its direct continuation through the 20th and 21st one has often reserved the right for creating intellectual progress for the European man, but as knowledge is an abstract concept, those who create it do not keep a copyright on it. So, I tend to disagree with your rushed conclusion. If a certain kind of defiance has exposed the cracks in an obviously corrupt system, this should not mean that the blind reactionary course of action has been right either. True open-mindedness not only thinks outside the box and understands that frameworks are relative to temporal and spatial settings, but it also gives due notice the fact that there is more than one "box" that one can think outside of. You seem to have found your way out of one certain kind of box, but have gotten too deep into another one, which although larger, still has limits. Instead of jumping to conclusions and passing ultimate judgments the moment you finish a new book or a new article, try and put ALL of the pieces together.

Different read

I agree with the author about the defeat of Bush and company and I am enormously happy to see the specter of war disappearing from the sky of Iran. But now our hands are free to defeat IRI; and you know how? With knowledge which is a universal value with no color or geography. This author needs to know the basics of human evolution and knowledge. Sadly for him, he talks exactly like his opponents.

As for the confused joojeh

As for the confused joojeh roshanfekr and self-proclaimed analysts such as Hoder, the comments by "Hamkare babat too Bazaar" hit right at the target and expose the source of Hoder's pseudo anti-colonial idiocy. Hoder, just like Ahmadinejad and the gangsters around him, seems to be very interested in Hochigari under an anti-western disguise.

As for the NIE report, it is proof that many of us Iranians have a long way to go before starting to understand the complexities and the dynamics of international politics with regard to Iran. The NIE report must be in particular a big lesson for those who jump so quickly on the so called "anti war" bandwagon created and promoted and in many cases funded by the Iranian regime and its supporters among the so called "reformist opposition". For the last three years at least, all sorts of International "experts" and "journalists" have been issuing dire warnings and reports about an eminent military attack on Iran. We all need to learn and think and stop being under the influence of the regime's and its international supporters' propaganda.

The road to peace and prosperity for Iran is not straight forward. It passes through curves and sharp turns and hills and mountains and rivers and seas. However we choose to go through this road, one thing is clear: don't drive under the influence.

the comment by Hoder

It is America's strength that allows its intelligence agencies to carry out their work independant of the chief executive's views and the media to publish the results, without anybody getting punished. The intelligence agencies could be wrong or right, only time will tell. Just because these agencies are informing the public of their work does not make Iran's policies or views right. Anybody who has been to Iran and seen the plight of the millions who continue to suffer from all kinds of basic problems, and most importantly the fear of the regime that projects itself into their lives, knows that that model is a sad event in the history of the world. Had the Iranian government had its ways (with no public pressure to oppose it), all Iranian women would be wearing the Chador, all men would be wearing beards, etc; In short, Iran would be another Afghanistan in its form of life. Just because they defied the world and continued with their centrifuge activities does not make them right or brings any credit to anybody. What is the real achievement in spinning some centrifuges and enriching uranium? What material difference does it make to the lives of millions of Iranians who need and lack pure water, health care, proper housing, respect for their basic rights, etc. We live with values that are so many hundreds of years behind decency, respect, tolerance and dignity of mankind. And still, a bunch pride themselves in the most useless activies they call "achievements", "success", "victory", etc. Khoda be in mardom rahm konad.

About the author

although many diaspora Iranians might find the author's writings strange, stupid, or in many other forms, the reality is that many many many ordinary Iranians inside Iran actually think like him.

Mehdi you are dumb and

Mehdi you are dumb and 'bissavad' go read some books!
I am amazed to see a so called 'persian' saying Iran has not had any culture since Cyrus! This guy be either totally illiterate or totally ignorant of the rich Persian culture. He shouldn't ever have heard of 'Firdowsi' and his world class masterpiece 'Shahnameh', he has not heard of Saadi, Hafiz (whom Goethe has praised much, among other great poets, Khayyam, Avicenna and Rumi (whom the whole world is now praising).
Go get some books (besides the superman comics) before writing commentaries dude1

Comical "Analysis"

This should be files under funnies! It is hilarious! The writer is so far off base, it is actually very funny to read this. He thinks hundreds of years of scientific research by the "white man" can simply be brushed off by only and only "saying no!" He actually thinks Khomeini "won" because he was uneducated!!! His logic is that the dumber you are the higher the chances of success in the world! And when people of Iran and US and other countries work hard and couragiously and at certain points in history make some progress, the writer takes the credit away fom them and gives it to Ahmadinejad!!! Oh, this is so funny!

"Cultural revolution?" What culture? Have you not noticed that Iran has not had any culture since the days of Cyrus? Are you saying that since the "white man" claims 2+2=4, from now on to be successful we should say 2+2=5? And then we will win? Man, you are a piece of work! You should become a little less obsessed with the governments and suspect that maybe it is only individuals who ever do anything decent in this world. Governments only take the credits. Read some books or something for the sake of your own reputation. This is just friendly advice.

u r 100% right sir

this is what i am sayig too. pls just keep telling this idiot to get help. address his mental issues and not his "political points".
how i wish i could meet this dude. i would love to disucss his "ponits" with him in person.

A doctor can help you

i don't know why JJ publishes any garbage?!!
i would love to see a comment from him.
what is the point of this article?
even ayatollahs wouldn't comment such crap?
this guy is mentaly ill.

Check-Mate

I agree that the regime has played a brilliant hand and have checked the only super power. as a result the regime has enhanced its position and status. some of that will also rub off on Iran.......not by design though............

but you keep confusing I.R.I's interests with Iran's interests........on purpose

What has happened is a clear illustration that the regime have reached a deal (a secret one)with the west, and whenever a secret deal has been reached with any iranian regime, its always been against the long term interest of the iranian people, what ever the undoubted short term increase in Iran's status.

The end result will be that both the regime and Iranian people will pay for it.

thats Check-Mate..........

بابا یکی بیاد به این حسین یه ویزای آمریکا بده

همه این ادا اطوار ها رو تو از موقعی شروع کردی که تو رو تو آمریکا راهت ندادند! تو راه و نقشه زندگی ات از اولش پلاس شدن تو نیویورک (به خرج باباهه) و حال و حول تو ویلج بود که جور نشد .اونوقت گزینه بعدی ات فقط بازگشت به ایران بود! به همین دلیل هم از اون به بعد تو مسیرت رو برای برگشت به ایرون گذاشتی که مستلزم ترمیم ان کاری های قبلی ات و خایه مالی از رژیم میشه که بتونی برگردی!
بقیه اش همه حرفه.
این پست استراکچرالیست و پست کس شعرالیست بازی ها همه اش شعره! هدفت فقط یه چیزه! که برگردی ور ریش بابای بازاریت تو ایرون و منتظر بمونی که توی فعل و انفعالات و تغییرات داخلی رژیم فرقه بابات بیاد رو کار دوباره و یه چیزی هم به تو بماسه!
همین و همین!

grow up

listen to urself. r u nuts?
u sound as if things are working fine in iran and life is great. today they hung a guy in kermanshah who was convicted at age 13!!!
inflation, unemployment, drug use, prostitution, etc has sky rocketed in iran. the economy is sicker than ever and u sound as if the policies of ur mullah friends has worked.
u can't possibly be living abroad and saying this nonsense bc if u r the u know what u r, i don't need to repeat it.