REVOLUTION

Retired teacher makes 220 dollars a month

College graduate 260$
Secretary 120$
Rent of an apartment (not in Tehran) 300$
One killo of meat 11$
Please do the math.

And by the way I saw a documentary on World Link TV, I never forget the old man shouting at a mulla in a mosque and telling him that all he had been eating for the past 6 days was barbary bread.

So I don't know what you are talking about.

Indendance is controlling

Indendance is controlling your own destiny, and removing your nation from being the slave that fuels the expansion and growth of an imperialist power.

By your own definition of independence we can easily deduce that Iran is Highly non-indepedent because it neither controls its destiny nor it knows how to given the social and economic Tsunami that is has been in. It also facilitates the expansion of imperialist power and enrichment of their military industrial complex.

Sanctions? Who are you kidding. The EU is Iran biggest trade Patner. China and Russia also have made lucrative deals with Iran...This victimhood syndrome of IRI is an utter fallacy.

How Global Politics Works

John Perkins explains how international corporations dictate how revolutions occur, they'll overthrow any government with natural resources which doesn't play by their terms, the current regime is obviously just a pawn which has agreed to be corrupted at the expense of average Iranian people.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=z43f0F97HDM

Indendance is controlling

Indendance is controlling your own destiny, and removing your nation from being the slave that fuels the expansion and growth of an imperialist power.

THe mullah's are doing just fine with that, and considering a long imposed war and 30 years of sanctions, they are doing fantastic and the people in Iran will continue to benefit from that.

Iran is emerging! That will hit the US in the pocket, and no amount of negative publicity or military threat is going to stop them. Get use to it because it's only going to get better.

The religious issue is something that only Iranians can reform from within and that will only tanspire after Iran is free to carve it's own position based on its own talent and resources.

Anon7

Yeah, not only did I say it, I stand behind it.

Because my Iran doesn't have the likes of those pieces of scum.

You can keep on tricking yourself into believing that these degenerates can be reasoned with, or that you can honestly negotiate with them in "good faith", a concept that these people neither comprehend or respect.

Whether you wish to believe it or not, the only 100% way of guaranteeing that a murderer will not murder again is to execute them.

What is it that you're hoping for? That the IRI will "reform" or "rehabilitate" itself? Talk about "dreams"!

If you want peace, you have to be willing to do what is necessary in order to reach the goal, even if that includes acting in an uncivilized way sometimes.

This is why throughout history, the many have always been ruled by the few. Most people aren't willing to do whatever is necessary.

I'm no fan of war, I'm no fan of violence or bloodshed, but if it comes down to a "them or me" scenario, I am not about to lay down and die.

Result of Islamic sharia in Iran: "Hetrosexual sex bad,"

According to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, a report published in the Iranian media reveals that:

A new study by an Iranian University shows that 24% of Iranian women and 16% of Iranian men have had at least one homosexual experience.

This is the first time that the Iranian media have reported the occurrence of such a high percentage of sexual acts outside marriage. The media are usually not allowed to elaborate on sexuality, and the government imposes heavy punishments for any sexual relationship outside heterosexual marriage.

Parvaneh Abdul Maleki, a sociologist, presented these findings in the “Third Conference on Well-being in the Family”. The Iranian media called the new trend “disturbing”. It says both homosexuality and masturbation are:

“sexual abnormalities that require multi-dimensional treatment of the issue, including cultural, medical, and education campaigns”

Great improvement my dear Abarmard!

Nouraee, you want your Iran back!

Nouraee "I just want my Iran back."

Nouraee, arn't you the one who said "I only wish that Mohammad Reza Shah had rounded up and executed all of these Arab-parast gangsters, especially the Indian. "
(link: //iranian.com/main/singlepage/2008/i-hear... ).

So you want "your Iran" back!, no sane Iranian should allow likes of you to implement your dreams no matter how poorly IRI has manged the country.

""Universal human rights are

""Universal human rights are being trampled underfoot in the Islamic “Republic” of Iran. In particular, the Baha’is in Iran are regarded as people with no rights.

On 10 December, Human Rights Day, the organisation known as Human Rights Activists In Iran recalled a demonstration held in Tehran on 7 December 1953. At this demonstration, intended to show solidarity with the then prime minister Mossadegh, three Iranian students were shot dead: Shariat Razavi, Ghandchi and Bozorgnia. Since then, 7 December has been known as Student Day in Iran.

This year, too, several hundred students gathered in front of the main building of Tehran University. Their demands included the release of students from Iranian prisons and an end to discrimination against Iranian women.""

The above atrocities encompass #5 and
#12 of 'The Defining Characteristics of Fascist state':

//www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

5. 5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

//www.iranpresswatch.org/2009/01/bahais-livin...

To Abarmard

Dear Abarmard,

Can you please clarify these statements?

“Has the Islamic Republic reached the people’s goals to be a politically independent system?

If the Iranians knew then what their movement would end up to be today, would there still be a revolution? I would debate that most certainly yes.”

Therefore, you are implying that the Islamic Republic has succeeded in making Iran a more independent country. Could you please explain this? How? In what way?

In the case of today’s Iran, I see mostly isolation rather than independence. In these days of global economy, we see that independence does not have the same meaning as it used to have in the post-colonial world of the 60’s and 70’s.

Unfortunately, IRI leaders still look at independence through this prism.

Iran, being isolated, has to rely heavily on loose affiliations with other isolated countries to support its fragile economy, but still has to bribe superpowers like China and Russia in order to save face.
Also, independence means the creation of an independent economy. Iran is 80% dependent on oil, which is exclusively sold to Europeans, Chinese, Japanese, Americans and Russians, who in turn sell their industrial products back to Iran.

Iran still has to rely heavily on foreign companies for most of its large-scale projects, such as offshore oil exploration, subway construction and infrastructure development.

Iranians who want to pursue specialized education have not much choice but to go abroad, as Iranian universities are still behind in terms of research and development, and the economy cannot offer them promising careers.

Are these signs of independence?

You also claim:
“Thirty years has passed and the Islamic Republic of Iran seems to be the only government that has stood external forces and not only relied on her people to achieve the once unthinkable but also has become stronger rather than weaker.”

Please explain this statement. In what way has Iran become stronger?

“To put the last thirty years in a short sentence, besides the pains of revolution and war, sanctions and isolations, the situation has improved but not to an acceptable level.”

This statement is totally unacceptable. The situation has worsened in every possible aspect! Drug addiction, unemployment, underemployment, prostitution, emigration, decline of moral values, decline of social values, corruption…

This is not "political

This is not "political independence". It is an attempt at Zerangi. A poor attempt at Zerangi. Political independence is only achieved through economic independence, wealth building and social freedoms; None of which is present in Iran under the Islamist.

I would add any country that only relies on an oil-based economy can never claim true independence by defintion. This slogan/rhetoric is often used to stir nationalistic sentiments of the sheeple and use them as canon fodder to stay in power.

Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, art etc.

Scape Goating/creating external enemies/perpetual warmongering and fearmongering:

The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

sorry, I forgot to link

Here is the link for Fourteen defining Characteristics of Fascism:

//www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

Abarmard et al Disdain and

Abarmard et al Disdain and utter silence for the Recognition of Human Rights and economic equity and justice speak volume of their characters.

Fourteen defining characteristic of Fascism:

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc

Here is the latest for Abarmard et al to habitually minimize and whitewash:

"From a Physicians for Human Rights press release:

According to a press release issued today from the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran, the mother of Arash and Kamiar Alaei recently broke her silence in an interview with Iranian news media. The press release stated that the mother told Rooz Online {{//www.roozonline.com/archives/2009/01/post_11152.php}}

that her sons had been held for 63 days in solitary confinement and that she feared that they might be tortured to coerce false confessions on camera.

More from the LA Times.

//www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-f...

Yes, Iran is independent

Yes, Iran is independent from human dignity, morality, progressive ideals, prosperity, humanity, economic and social security and justice. Bravo Abarmard et al...

The Islamic Republic was build upon blood and deceit, period. The IRI has crippled, literally and figuratively, Iran's potential economic, cultural, social progress and prosperity for many generations to come.

IRI has killed,tortured thousands of innocent Iranians and someday has to be held accountable for their crimes, if there is a God.

In the meantime, the IRI is trying to erase the evidence of their 1988 massacre. Please do what you can to preserve the khavaron cemetry.

According to Amnesty International, between 4500 to 10000 Iranian political prisoners were massacred in 1988 over a period of just two months. The relatives of the victims were not allowed to have the bodies of their loved ones or hold a funeral, instead the bodies were taken in meat trucks and dumped in places like Khavaran or what the regime referred to as La'nat-Abad [The Damned Place], a cemetery used for burying non-Muslims.

The mass burial at Khavaran was only accidentally discovered by an Armenian priest who had become curious as to why stray dogs kept digging there for bones.

Although the useful idiots across the West, who are always ready to march in support of terrorists and brutal dictators, thought the massacre was not worthy of a protest, even the successor to Ayatollah Khomeini at the time, Ayatollah Montazeri, could not stay silent and wrote a protest letter, which promptly resulted in his removal from the position of successor to the Supreme Leader.

Now, twenty years later, the Islamic Republic can not tolerate families of those victims who come to Khavaran to console their sorrow. Mothers and fathers, brother and sisters, sons and daughters who just hold pictures of their loved ones and plant trees and flowers to say we have not forgotten our victims. But thats too much for the Islamic Republic authorities, they want to demolish Khavaran altogether.
//kamangir.net/2009/01/18/khavaran-cemetery-t...

Even though during the

Even though during the revelution most men and women were out in the streets against the Shah, if you ask them if they knew what they know now would they support the revolution -Contrary to the article- will say a resounding NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Also people of Iran are not some passive, badbakht people that need others to empower them. If the Islamic Republic removes its violent means of keeping them down they are intelligent, talented and well able to empower themselves.

Abarmard

All I can see in your article is yet another excuse or pardon for this criminal regime.

After 30 years of this HELL on earth it should be clear and obvious to everyone that this "revolution" was, is, and will always be a complete failure. Say whatever you like about the monarchy. Mohammad Reza Shah is dead and gone, and is not able to answer to your claims even if he wanted to, so taking shots at him is pretty cheap and in my opinion, very low.

But this so-called Islamic Revolution is still alive and well, unfortunately, like a cancer, but harder to kill. And this cancer has spread to turn Iran into a country with rampant drug addiction, prostitution, corruption, persecution, oppression and lawlessness the likes of which make the Pahlavi monarchy look like a bunch of boy scouts by comparison.

Personally, I wish the past 30 years could be taken back, so that this would all be just a bad dream, rather than the nightmare reality it has turned out to be. I would do anything to keep this miserable mollahs out, and if I needed help from the outside, I would put that stubborn Iranian pride to the side and ask for it.

Iranian pride my ass. Look at what that worthless pride has brought. What the hell is there to be so damn proud of?

Keep your stinking pride. I just want my Iran back.

IRI Independence is a Fraud

Independence has two opposit meanings, one for IRI and another for Iranians.

IRI has miserably failed in all areas, yet still defends the fraudulent "independence" of iran. Why?

The independence for IRI, as sold to the people, allows IRI open hand in looting the country and spending its resources in any way that IRI wants, "without" being accountable to anyone, iranian people, iranian national interests, or international law. In other words, independence is interpreted in a way that is suits IRI (not the people) and allows them to make decisions that appear to not be influenced by external forces but has nothing to do with iranian interests either; but only allows IRI leaders to continue their thuggery, independent of any responsibility.

IRI "independently" bribes china and india, "independently" supports hamas and hezbollah, etc. They also "independently" oppress iranians. All without any internal or external accountability. IRI kind of "independence" is thuggery without accountability.

True independence is the other side of freedom, both serving interests of the people. Only the former is stressed by IRI since it serves their purpose of acting without any accountability outside the iranian interests and hiding behind the independence slogan as a tool of deceit. In this kind of independence non-one is allowed to question actions of the regime and if their "independent" decisions are aligned or conflicting with iranian interests. Does the "independently-decided" 25-year gas and oil deals with india and china, interference in arab-israili conflict, or nuclear energy ventures serve iranian interests, or are they only cherished for the sake of independece even though they conflict with iranian interests.

"known agents of the enemy"

The only enemy of Iranian people are the Clergy Islamic Fundamentalist Thugs. Iranians have no other enemy internally or externally. The Islamists, and their leftist apologists, have found the most convenient age old "enemy". Scapegoating is a typical tactic used to blame a nations failures on a non existent 3rd party.

The "we" that had it good

Just like the old Comrades the “we’ in you cannot face up to the reality and no there are some who know you “we” only too well to not fall for the childish nitpicking among the bunch.  As for the “Bushism” years, you "we" guys had it good and didn’t know it. Stay tuned for the more international consensuses friendly less trash-talk more robust and resolute action against your ideologically amicablt Islamist regime, there’s a new decisive sheriff in town. 

Nevertheless,

Despite of meddeling of the known agents of the enemy of our country we should continue our dialoug and stay away from reactionary impulses.

Fred,

Now that’s being an opportunist and foolish to think a crack in our unity can open the flood gate! As we've been tested during last 8 years of Bushism, we might disagree on some tactics but never doubt that we differ on strategies.

Payandeh IRAN!

This is Pure Pro Leftist/Islamist Propaganda

I see that many of the author's supporters here cling on the word "political independence" by copying and pasting the following line and giving kudos to each other:

"The revolution therefore was more focused on the right for Iran to be independent rather than free. The only Iranian establishment that was trusted to be politically independent was the clergy. Although the slogans of the revolution indicated a want for freedom, one could see that the majority of the Iranians were more interested to gain a long lost independence than freedom. The reasoning for this statement could be clarified with an example that the majority of the people knew what a political independence meant yet were not clear what freedom meant."

The above statement is a pure lie and fabrication. Anyone who relies on this statement is either naive or an outright apologist for the murderous Islamic regime. The clergy are not "politically independent" at all. Internal politics is dependent on Sharia and Islam. Is that "Independent"? Is forcing half the population to live as second class citizens, stoning people to death for adultery, mistreating minorities and non Shia Muslims the result of political "Independence"? Is this the fruits of Political Independence?

External politics is dependent on closed mindedness and fear of Western though and ideas. How many times have Khamenei or Rafsanjani traveled out of the Islamic Republic to see the world? The clergy that saw the world for what it was and tried to open up (Khatami) was stopped dead and accomplished ZERO.

As to foreign policy, the record of the "clergy independence" is even worse. What independence? The clergy are reliant on the animosity between the large political powers around them (US, Russia, China and EU). The second the Russians decide to make a deal, the clergy's interest will be sold to the highest bidder. This is not "political independence". It is an attempt at Zerangi. A poor attempt at Zerangi. Political independence is only achieved through economic independence, wealth building and social freedoms; None of which is present in Iran under the Islamist.

To use Cuba as an example is even a bigger joke as Cuba only changed the entities it depended on surviving. Without the Soviet Union's free handouts, Cuba would have been doomed.

Being able to stand up against the United States does not equal "Political Independence". The second Iranians realize this, is the second Iranians will finally be able to move on.

Grasping at straws

With a thirty year long track record of continuous murder, mayhem, acceleration of dependence and backward march, the Islamists and their ideological lefty allies are fronting an ersatz “independence” as the achieved goal of the Islamist revolution.

The “independence” myth is fortified with the Islamist republic being the glue that is holding the Iranian “nationalities” with “diverse languages” together.  This debunked Soviet era nonsense which is gaining new currency with this crowd has repeatedly failed the test of time and successive regimes.

  With abundant evidence to the contrary in plain sight, it seems more than anything they are trying to justify and fool themselves.

Q,

Where in this slogan, ”Esteghlal (Independence), Azadi (Liberty), Jomhoriye Eslami (Utopian/Islamic Republic) you see an extra emphasis on the independence part? The reality is we sacrificed other two to mindlessly keep the first one, same thing with Patriot Act in the US.

What do we really care about, the well being of the society, families, women and children or keeping up with tough macho man image?

Afarin Abarmard!

Dear Abarmard, I may not agree with every word, but I respect your writing because of that extremely rare quality seemingly forgotten by many Iranians: it is grounded in reality, not self-centered ideological fantasy.

This part, I have a lot of sympathy for:

The revolution therefore was more focused on the right for Iran to be independent rather than free. The only Iranian establishment that was trusted to be politically independent was the clergy. Although the slogans of the revolution indicated a want for freedom, one could see that the majority of the Iranians were more interested to gain a long lost independence than freedom. The reasoning for this statement could be clarified with an example that the majority of the people knew what a political independence meant yet were not clear what freedom meant.

Independence was the most important tenet of the revolution. Nothing makes it clearer than the ordering the popular slogan: "ESTEGHLAL, Azadi, Jomhourye Eslami".

Of course those who point to Iran's relative loss of power and popularity miss the point completely. This is another one of the diseases many expat Iranians seem to be afflicted with: a ubiquitous pathological over-emphasizing of appearance over substance.

An analogy can be drawn with Cuba. Before Castro, Cuba was a "nice, respected" country with a positive image, so long as it was an American colony. The reason is simple: the industry that creates "nice images" is owned by the super power, so of course whoever is friendly with it has a "positive" image, and whoever does not fall in line is run by "troubling extremists."

However, it is more than obvious that Cuba gained true independence only after its revolution.

The other point I wanted to make is that we should be carefuly not to make 'freedom' some kind of binary value. Freedom in a large society in the world today is a very complex concept, it cannot be an "on/off" switch. It is rather a continuoum along multiple dimensions: personal, political, communal, etc.

If Iranian opposition wants to get serious and actually accomplish something, it must first accept reality of facts and attitudes in Iran.

It must deal with real people in a practical way, not simply project and amplify the outdated fantasies of a few aging aristocrats, mindlessly yearning for a paradise that never was.

Otherwise, it's doomed to sit on the sidelines of history for another 30 years.

Keep up the good work.

anonymousX

Thank you for your comements in "devolution....."  It was very eye-openning to see what happened in 1979 by Iranian's arrogance & ignorance.

Thanks for reminding readers of Reza Shah's contribution to modern Iran.

payandeh Iran.  

independence !

Independence from forgien power resulted in falling in the hands of criminal IRI.  IRI is worse than any forien power such a US.  As long as I am concern IRI is also a forgien entity,  IRI is a group of Arabs who speak persian with only this intention to exploieted Iranians from their wealth & spending them on Hams, Hezbollah, Syria &.....

This is a continuation of 1400 years of Arab invesion of IRAN. Wake up IRANIANS!

Payandeh IRAN.

to Anonymousx

Dear Sir, most of your points are valid when you look at the events 30 years LATER. At that time, people’s perception and emotions were different. People were not as literate as today and they did not have access, mostly thanks to the Shah’s censorship, to a lot of information; therefore they were easy victims of false rumors and manipulations by smart clergymen and others with an agenda.

You also know very well how emotional Iranians can be.
What happened during those years is simply the consequence of the corruption (real and perceived), mismanagement (real and perceived), human rights abuses (real and perceived), lack of political freedom (real and perceived) and the exaggerated military expenses and high level of dependence on Americans (real and perceived).

Had the Shah been more inclusive in his decisions, people would have naturally felt more part of the whole process. Had he shown more respect for Iran’s religious traditions, people would have admired him. Had his surroundings (court, family, friends, ministers…) been less corrupt and selfish, people would have liked them.
Today, we are looking at some major achievements of the Shah’s period such as the construction of such and such dam for instance, and we praise him for building. But do we exactly how people back then perceived it? I bet you many were nagging at how much money was stolen by the son of X or Y in the course of the project. Again, real fact or fabrication, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that people had lost confidence in him, and it was therefore easy to manipulate them into believing everything and anything.

I cannot measure, just like you did, what was good and what was bad in the Shah’s achievements, as these are all relative. Iran was certainly on a progress curve, and was far ahead of its neighbors but Iranians were not ready for the fast paced and ambitious modernization program that the Shah was trying to implement. It was just impossible to take a people used to be ruled by feudal lords and tribal chieftains to become another Germany overnight. This process must be accompanied with smooth political reforms and a solid DEBATE within the society. People must be given time to digest.

Also, it is not fair to blame people and label them as ignorant.

Finally, we will never know to what extent foreign powers were involved in this revolution and that’s another important factor.

What Is Wrong With Man?

^
^
^
^
French Revolution: Equality, Justice, Liberty

I hardly
Know a person
Who has not bought or purchased
Public lottery tickets
To get a chance
To win a large sum of money at once
This says everyone wishes to be wealthy
Yet paradoxically there is such an accusation & resentment
Amongst the poor toward the rich people
Who also buy the same ticket to become even wealthier

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing!!

Abarmand, I know it's unncessary to explain this to you, but for the benefit of that segement of your audience whose potential is worth tapping into, let me convey that when you write an intelligent, objective and powerful essay, your adversary is quick to reply with comments loaded with emotional remarks filled with elementary qualifiers like; iri apologists, liberals or other illiterate and uninformed nonsense alike.

Some will attempt to sort the pepper out of the fly shit for the sake of catering to their own personal egos if not motives, others will read your eassay a few times and ponder over why certain words and explanations are in essense so profound.

Regardless, your judgement and IQ will prevail and your initiative and leadership is to be commended.

In democratic societies

In democratic societies every so many years people have an option of voting their leaders out of office in regimes like ours (Iran), the leaders feel that it is their right to impose their will on to the people for as long as they want to. At the time of the revolution Iranians were tired of the excesses of the Mohamad Reza Shah's regime. Given their strong nationalistic instincts they were tired of Americans having full criminal immunity in Iran. The work of the Majles had been reduced to who could come up with a better and a loftier given name (Laghab) to the king and the work of the ministeries was to pocket money as much as they could. The hard working intelligent people of Iran for the most part were disenfranchised. SAVAC was everywhere and very feared. The 2500 year celebration of the monorchey was overdone in a country of many poor people.etc, etc.

In a non democratic country like Iran if you are fed up with the behavior of your rulers what are you supposed to do?

But let's not fool ourselves that the revolution of Iran was an independent one and that the present regime is an independent one. It is common knowledge that America was a huge part of the regime change in Iran of 1979 and the Clergy in Iran has traditionally been connected and supported by the British forces.

We as a nation have to learn that there is a system called democracy that supports the rule of law, institutions, and tolerates opposition groups, and when people are sick of a certain group and their ways of conducting the business of the nation they will be voted out of office at which point they will have to go without killing each other. I know democracy is not perfect but it is the best I have seen so far.

The most important part is without killing each other.