VOTE

شهروند دارای بالاترین میزان قدرت

چرا مدافعان تحریم فقط هر ۴ سال یک بار، در روز انتخابات ریاست جمهوری به یاد مشروعیت نظام می افتند؟ جواب اول: زیرا رژیم هر چهار سال یکبار به «شهروندان دارای بالاترین میزان قدرت» اجازه میدهد تا گوشه ای بی ارزش از نظام خود را،آنهم پس از غربال شورای نگهبان، انتخاب کنند.جواب دوم:به شما توصیه میشود تنها در زمان انتخابات مواضع مخالفان راتعقیب نکنید. این نظام هیچ گاه مشروعیت نداشته.

My Final Point of View

To all the girls and guys who think that voting doesn't change
anything, and from 1997 to 2005 the social circumstances were as bad as after 2005:

1) Read //online.wsj.com/article/SB124355320443064445... and //iranian.com/main/blog/jahanshah-javid/d....

2) You all deserve and I wish you the hell called IRI and Ahmadinejad.

انتخابات بی معنی است

Boys! Boys! Take it easy, I have news for you. There are no elections. It does not matter who wins, ultimately, the real is winner is Khamenei, he will get extended life for 4 more years and that is all. There will be no changes because they all work for Islamic regime. These candidates are all from same gang of terrorist group. Can't you tell they are playing roles? The real loser is the people of Iran, unless they wipe these vermin off the land for good. I have a feeling, their days are numbered.

Some people have no stakes in Iran

so there is no harm in going for a full Utopia that has no chance of success.

In the meantime, real Iranians suffer every day because of Ahmadinejad.

Vote Karroubi.

Joke of the day

Thanks for making us laugh:)

Keep dreaming buba.

no worries Kourosh

Those in charge of Iran are more pragmatic and much less dangerous than AIPAC and Israeli extremists.

Dast pache nasho

Ananymous 7

Honestly, as staunchly as you try to show your support on your position in defence of IRI getting their hands on these weapons, or maybe they already have them and now have to worry about how to manage the situation, Nothing and nobody comes any closer to qualify as a top-notch extremist than yourself. The more you try to hide it under various diisguises, the more it becomes apparent. so save it baradar jan.

You may not like it, but i can see right through all the clutter and hoopla.

Tahrimi extremists (to Kourosh)

Tahrimi_jAn, unlike many of you extremists, I have always supported less confrontation with Israel .... a view very similar to Trita Parsi's. You can see my support for him more or less in all of his articles at iranian.com some written long time ago (see the archives).

ghahr nakonam? LOL Chsham

ghahr nakonam? LOL Chsham my esfoohooni buddy. Just because you say so. Ghorse assaab lazem dari.

Oh, so now your are Pro-IRI and israel friendly as well? talk about noon be nerkhe rooz khordan. Wind direction changing again na?

I neither hate nor like Israel and its government and people. Best of luck with your buisness project once everyting has fallen through. I hope you will serve enough Seer, I hear they love it over there:)

Kourosh

hala digheh ghahr nakon Tahrimi_jAn. Although I am pro Iran, I am not anti Israeli. In fact ideologically I am very close to Jewish liberals (e.g., George Soros). And yes I support nuclear deterrence with Israel, why not? I also strongly support normalization of relation with Israel. I am an Esfahani, I want to open a chelow kababi in Israel one day with Mehdi Mazloom (my Jewish Iranian friend).

Anannymous 7

LOL.

I think it is way past your bed time. My being a pro-israeli or pro-war or pro-anything you want to call it, won't even get close to your level of Hezabollahiness and IRI-worshipping self.

Sweet "nuclear weapons-related" dreams.

IRI loves you.

Are you living in Iran? (to Kourosh)

Kourosh says: "They don't give a F. They live here in US or maybe ineurope. HArfe moft ke mlaeeat nadere."

Kourosh_jan, that is true, however you yourself are not immune to that unless you are living in Iran. Are you living in Iran?
Based on your writings it seems to me that although you are very pro Israeli you live neither in Israel nor in Iran but in the U.S.

Max 2009

That is not what i said.

Don't  misquote the lines, That was in conjunction of saying that if mousavi had the power to cut the hands of these basijis and pasadars off then or had khatami done so during his terms, then  i would beliven them to be the true reformers. Knowing how strong these organizations have become and knowing that neither one of these reformers are able to do such a thing, i don't buy their BS. heck. Mousavi is such a hypocite that he walks out of meetings when faced with some tough questions.Again, this is my personal opinion and i am NOT PUSHING for vilolence of any kind.

Parham:

They don't give a F. They live here in US or maybe ineurope. HArfe moft ke mlaeeat nadere. Let them worship their reformers all they want to. There is a huge gap between their "vast" majority and the real majority. Let them ramble on and on about how others are traitors and pro-israeli and AIPAC members and How they know what is best and Let them stay busy with the thought and delusion that they actually have a plan for iran that works.

Parham

I think you should watch your mouth before writing such insulting comments to someone who is proposing his point of view. Ali 1234 seems to be a balanced person who loves his country and wants to work for more democracy.

No one is forcing you to vote. If you don’t want to vote, fine, don’t vote, but stop insulting those who propose alternatives and ideas because you have nothing better to say.

If you think you have better ideas for Iran’s future, get you lazy ass off your chair and do something for Iran if you're so intelligent.

KouroshS

Don't even mind the guy. Mousavi, who's running for president in a few days, yet has to talk about ONE PLAN he has if he becomes president!! He still hasn't. And they ask you what your plan is??
Baba these people are jokes. I yet have to see one post where Ali1234 hasn't faked something (meaning attributed something to us we haven't said, done, etc.) just to go on with his bull. And the more you rub their noses in their poop, the more they come back! :) Some people think just with "veghahat" they can get away with anything in life. They don't know they're being seen and watched by intelligent eyes too... Or at least that everyone is not dumb!
Khoda roozishoono jaye dige havale kone....

You People?

No.

That is just my opinion and i dont know about the people that you are talking about, Maybe  using the lable "you people"is yet another tool and means for you to make your so-called solution logical and reasonable.

You criticize any other plans but yours, as not concrete , but what you are offering is basically based on empty slogans and has no strenght and credibility to it. I am not asking people to LET ahmadinejad win no. Quit playing this twisting-the-words game. You have outdone yourself.

Sure, yep. You have figured us "people" out. Good for you. You can chant slogans about reforms and what an angel mousavi is and how he has the support of the millions and all other good things about it. You go ahead and enjoy his leadership and you go ahead and live in that heaven he intends to create with the help of people. BUT MAKE DAMN SURE you live IN IRAN and not in US or UK or europe. BTW, you have not answered my questions as to why khatami just sat there like a Boz, and watched all the killings happening and did not do a darn thing about it and didnot stand up to his superiors. Keep avoiding the question. That is what islamists have done a good job at all these years.

Kourosh

Kourosh,

Your statements are very contradictory

On the one hand, you are asking to change this regime ANY WAY YOU CAN. Then a few lines later, this is what you wrote:

“But, it is a little too late for that to happen and with all the power and might that have gotten, they will keep sticking their nose into every single affair that concerns the private life of the people, and Neither Khatami or mousavi can or will try to stop them in their tracks. They will not be able to stop them from suppressing and beating and breaking up demonstration by women and students, unless of course they are conducted under their own, islamic guidelines... and SO MANY other issues they will not be able to solve,”

OK, so basically, you are saying we should do anything we can to get rid of this regime (I assume you mean demonstrations by women and students, civil society...), but you admit that the Basij and militia are now so strong that it is too late and that they will suppress and beat and break up any demonstrations!

So in other words, you are asking for a blood bath because while people will do anything they can, the militias will suppress them, arrest them, torture them and kill them! Is this seriously what you are asking for?

Can Iranians, who are struggling to make ends meet with work, rents, food, school, seriously embark on this cycle that will end up in chaos and civil war?

Isn’t voting for a more moderate candidate a better solution? We experienced 8 years of reforms, so it is only the beginning. Violent solutions or boycott will only mean the victory of the most radical and violent movements and more and more time wasted for democracy. That’s the reality!

I think the vast majority of people have learned a few lessons now:

- There were fundamental differences between Khatami and Ahmadinejad
- Not voting in 2005 brought the most radical candidate
- Not voting in 2009 will bring the most radical candidate again.

KouroshS

You said:

"You asked me three questions. here are your answers.

1- You want an altenative plan?First thing, get rid of IRI in anyway you can"

"ANYWAY YOU CAN"?!! "anyway you can"????! So, that's your alternative, concrete, practical plan?? This is the plan based on which you ask people to boycott the elections????

You are asking people to boycott the elections; let Ahmadinejad win and keep ruining the economy, the foreign relations, the arts and culture, the NGOs and the civil society, putting the country at risk of war and sanctions...etc and what solution you offer them at the price of these sacrifices? To "get rid of the IR anyway they can"!!! WOW

What's wrong with you people?! You don't have any solutions, any alternative plan, any remote idea of what to do next. And yet you just want to stop those who AT LEAST wanna try something. You want to stop people from making their lives at least a little better! Seriously, what's wrong with you people?!!

Why am i not getting a

Why am i not getting a specific response as to why Khatami's hands were tied, while all thos things were happening? who is hiding begind "general concepts" now?

You are under an Illusion that someone like khatami or mousavi could mobilize people in the millions, while at the end They MUST report to the Big man on top, regardless of how much power and authority the wield. All of what happened during khatami and how he became so weak and moot at the end of his term, should serve as proof to you. He "mobilized" all those people, only to have ahmadinejad come and take everything away. The same is going to happen with mousavi or anyone else who dreams of creating reforms.

I do recognize the struggles for the reforms, and i do not dismiss it, I am saying that it can NOT happen, because The higher powers won;t allow it. Notice that i am not dismissing anything. Dismissing would be similar to denying something, To say that reform will never happen in iran. I am saying of course they will happen but not under this regime, not as long as there is islamic authocracy . You on the other hand are blinded by all this good talks and are fooling yourself that mousavi or so and so are your saving angles.

You asked me three questions. here are your answers.

1- You want an altenative plan?First thing,  get rid of IRI in anyway you can, note that i am not pushing for a military invasion and replace it with a true republic. One that does not have any kind of religous or non-religious despotism in it. That should be your number one priority cowboy.

2- there is no common goal. Even if there is one, It is mainly focused on the one i just mentioned. so go and find someone who can mobilize millions, in order to accomplish that goal.

3- it did take many nations a long time to get there. I confess. But for sure, we are not even close to being on the right path, let alone staying onit to reach a democratic state. 

Like i said, a real reformer must make sure that The baseejees and Pasadars stay in their own corner and not meddle with economic, political and social affairs, If they want to be a military entity, fine. Let them and LIMIT Them to just that. But, it is a little too late for that to happen and with all the power and might that have gotten, they will keep sticking their nose into every single affair that concerns the private life of the people, and Neither Khatami or mousavi can or will try to stop them in their tracks. They will not be able to stop them from suppressing and beating and breaking up demonstration by women and students, unless of course they are conducted under their own, islamic guidelines... and SO MANY other issues they will not be able to solve,

 And YOU KNOW WHY? because if they make a wrong move and persist ongoing the opposite direction of the velayate fagih, At the end it will be Their own ASSES that is going to be on the line. Thank you for all that poetry and very Fine style of explaining to me How there is Interaction among various factions of the Dolat and the system.

All a bunch of crap. if you ask me.

KouroshS

Who said that the reforms will happen without any resistance and struggle? Of course they closed the newspapers, shot Hajarian in the face, used every opportunity to create a crisis for Khatami and the reformists. But it is one thing to recognize the struggles of the reforms, and it is another thing to dismiss the whole movement as a "show" or a "survival strategy" of the regime.

But if you accept that the reform is a genuine movement in Iran and it really is a pain in the neck of the power elites in Iran, then why not support it?!! I don't get that. Who else beside Khatami and Mousavi can mobilize millions of Iranians with a vision and hope from the future and provide them a concrete nonviolent plan to reach that future?

It is true that the reform movement was badly hurt in these past years. But today, all indications show that it is rising again and people are more enthusiastic and supportive than ever. Should we just give up after 8 years and wait until "something" happens?!! What are the alternative plans? Who else can mobilize so many people for a common goal? How long did other countries struggle to reach democracy?

Ali 1234

OF course that i need a survey for this. As a matter of fact i want one that has recently been conducted and i want it to be conducted scientifically and i want it to represent THE CURRENT popularity of khatami. Is that too much to ask? Oh, i think someone else here is in dire need of a reality shot.

I am not sure which opposition group you are specifically referring to! But just to remind you, iran is a country of close to 80 million people and i do not doubt that for all those millions expressing their support for this IRI-created reform movemnet, there is an equal and perhaps greater number who do not take this reform seriously. Why disregard their concerns? why disregard people who return from their visits to iran, with loads and loads of stories about how unsatisfied a lot of people are with the system and could care less whogets elected as the next Prez? Do you mean to tell me that their concerns and complaints should be taken lightly? Do you deny their existence?

That is exactly what i meant by shots being called from the top, Th these reformers are being pain in the neck for the establishment, And The leader and his cohorts  have the ultimate authority to do as they please and choose whatever means necessary to silence the supporters.  Why would a system, that is so much eager to give reform movements a chance, on the path to democracy, even think of taking such actions? Why couldn't khatami do anything against newpaper closures and sending his followers to jail? Why was not he able to take advantage of this poularity and this landslide victory back to back and stop the crimes? Why?

I am glad that you mentioned all these. Now you can see (or do you!) that despite all the formalities and supposed powers that a president is allowed to possess under the constitution, he is practically powerless and yet another pawn.

What "general concepts" and "big slogans" am i hiding behind??

You can go ahead and deconstruct and then reconstruct iranian internal politics and its fundamentals and dynamics, and go in circles as much as you wish. Like i said, You are not fooling me.

Kourosh

Kourosh_jAn, don't get bugged down with details, some of which do not necessarily refer to you. My point was that many of Tahrimis are supporters of war and sanctions against Iran (e.g Kazemzadeh and his so call Jebheye "melli").
As you have seen in my other posts, despite not being a Tahrimi I have serious doubts about how effective any of these candidate would be. I try to be positive and hopeful ....

KouroshS

The majority of the Iranian people do trust Khatami. You need a "survey" to tell you this? How about 23 million votes on two elections?! How about the massive crowds who gather for him every time he steps foot in any region? Seriously, you people really need to come back to reality!

It amazes me how all the opposition groups claim to be the most "popular" ones in Iran based on a few phone calls they receive during their TV shows or a few membership signatures they gather from their own relatives and email list. Yet they totally dismiss and close their eyes on the collective expression of millions of Iranians in Iran. Not only that, they also "interpret" their votes and dictate them what they really mean by voting for Khatami!! Come on wake up!

Call your friends and relatives in Iran and let them tell you how the entire country is wearing green and you might realize how popular the reform movement and its leaders are in Iran.

As for the idea that everything in Iran is being decides from the top. This is just another false statement that a lot of people abroad take as a fact. But the reality is that Khamenei and the conservatives did NOT want Khatami to win a landslide victory and they did everything they could to stop the reform movement. They went as far as shooting Hajarian in the face, closing almost all reformist newspapers, arresting his ministers and reformist members of the parliament, putting his supporters in jail and using all kinds of threats and intimidation techniques to stop this movement. So, how is everything managed from the "top" when there is such a harsh struggle at every level? Everything is managed from the top yet a the PRESIDENT and all his administration and his MINISTERS are such a burden on the conservative leadership?!!

Come on, try to deconstruct and understand the internal dynamism of Iranian politics with more detail, instead of hiding behind big slogans and general concepts.

KouroshS

"we will see if four years from now, the same crowd will be as enthusiastic as they are now, to have all the changes they had hoped for implemented."

Problem being we've been through this before. At the end of Khatami's eight years (and even after the first four-year term) people weren't that enthusiastic about anything anymore. Just that the same people have ALL forgotten about the state of things back then, and how unhappy they were. It will be exactly the same after the first four years of Mousavi's tenure. Even if they're unhappy, they'll forget all about it after a few years of some other bozo. That's what deciding to put up with b.s. will do. One day someone should realize somewhere that enough is enough. We just have to get out of this destructive system for our own sake.

parham

Thank you for that piece of information.

The thing is that they can stick to their belief system all they want to, But they know damn well they are not fooling anybody. Let them get what they wish for, we will see if four years from now,  the same crowd will be as enthusiastic as they are now, to have all the changes they had hoped for implemented.

 You see, In politics everything is relative and that all they need to go by. who cares about anything else when you got that?

KouroshS

Point well taken. It is my understanding that having to prove liquidity for an operation room is only the case in some hospitals, but it's becoming more commonplace. It surely is something that should be tackled with, however. Thank you for bringing that up.

And by the way, good going with the "deniers". ;)

Ali 1234

I don't need anyone to prove anything to me , But i do need to see the changes that i am comfrotable with, and not go by your words or anyone else who thinks like you do. Just like you are Convinced that great things are happening, I also need to be convinced. You seem to have a problem with that.

This nation has been hard at work and dedicated, more than it was necessary and yet nothing has been acheived, because , again as we talked about before, I don't see the system as you do, and i do believe that unlike what you say, all the final and main orders come from the top. everyone who was thrown into jail was representing a movement that had its voice cut off, By this same system. Where was your mousavi and khatami to do or say anything about it?

The majority of the nations trust them to represent their movement? well, shall we take a survey, or do you already have the list of these "majority" for our viewing pleasure?

Ananymous 7

I don't appreciate being referred to by the name "sheeshaki". You use it all the time and that is direct refrence to me. You said" The warmongers... and their sheeshak supporters"

Why else would you use that name, had you not been making a refrence to me?

rooshan shod barat hala?

 ALi 1234: I am a

 ALi 1234:

I am a defeatist? LOL. YOu don't know what "change" means. You are satisfied with the minimal and you have blindly convinced yourself that everything will fall into place once someone like mousavi comes to power. You are damn right that I would want to see the entire constitution changed. In fact i want the whole entire system changed and i want to see a true, republic, without the name "islamic" be instituted. An entity free of existence turban-wearing , self-proclaimed politicians. I don't want meaningless, empty and ineffective compromises, that don't work and lead to even more disasterous social and political and economical consequences.

People in your camp, have made "dynamics of politics" iran an excuse to run with your defunct and arcane agenda, thinking nobody is going to evenn have the remotest of ideas how rediculous it is.

"You're a defeatist. That's why it's so hard to argue with you. For you, nothing good can occur in Iran as long as we don't change the Constitution. For me, I've already seen tremendous changes take place even with the presence of Vali Faghih.

Your assessment of Iran's political system is basic. You think that all candidates that are approved by the Guardian Council are necessarily those "chosen" by the "regime". That's just a superficial analysis of the process. This only shows how ignorant you are of the dynamic of politics in Iran. You see things at face-value."

 ================================================

The fact is that the Guardian Council WISHES for nothing more than vetoing Mousavi and the likes of him, but it simply can't. The Guardian Council could just disqualify him because there is a great political cost associated to it. If they did it, they would also have to brace for a huge social impact. So, the fact that Mousavi made it through the filter, doesn't necessarily mean that he was "approved" or "endorsed" by the Guardian Council, or that they approve his ideas. It simply means that political dynamics didn't allow the Guardian Council to do as it wishes. The same thing is true for Khatami. He is so popular that he is untouchable by the dark tyrannic forces within Iran. He is so loved by people that the undemocratic elements in Iran can't simply disqualify him, jail him or kill him without having to face HUGE consequences.

 That is incorrect. The mere fact that the guardian council reserves the right to put out a final list of selected and eligible candidates, based on what they believe what eligibilty criteria should be and not based on  what REAL people  necessarily means that such a process is associated with a tremendous degree of bias. It does not matter whether the guardian council is making such a selection Whether they are forced to do so or not, The point is that they are not giving the same equal chances to others who maybe like mousavi or even better, The only difference is that they may not be closely linked to the system. Why could not they select more people like mousavi? Why not creating more competition? Why picking someone who has been close to the establishement with known track record? why pitting only HIM against the other three radicals? Your assertion are Purly rthetorical.

 ======================================

As for your claims about Valih Faghih, you're wrong again. You're caught again in your absolutist vision and your 0 or 1 version of events. You people get so carried away by your own exaggerated accounts of facts that you compromise your own logic. Despite your claim the Valih Faghih DOESN'T CONTROL everything in Iran. A President can very well act with a great degree of autonomy. The President has enough power to change many things. It is simply not true that Khamenei is the one calling every shot at the end. At least, his powers are not to the extend that it would make elections irrelevant. He too functions within a system. He too has to compromise, balance his positions, concede ground and interact with other forces. You make it seem as if Iran is an absolute authoritarian regime and this is simply not true.

The one who seems to have gotten carried away is You, and no one else. It is usually the case that when people get carried away, they start to defent all forms of irrationalities, and blindly defending the indefensible. Valieh fagih controls everything that carries a significant weigh and impact and is of important consequence to the political direction of this country. ALL this balancing and compromise that you are so proudly speaking of , takes place within the frame work of a religiously-based constitution.  

=============================================== 

Another argument that I can't stand from you people, is your predictions that anyone with good intentions in Iran (under the IR) is doomed to fail. That's another sad story about our country. Basically, what you're saying is that you won't choose anyone unless you're 100% sure he will succeed. Well, I've got news for you. That's not how politics work anywhere in the world. Candidates propose plans, and people vote for them to try to make those plans come true. Sometimes they fail, sometimes they PARTIALLY succeed, sometimes they completely succeed, and sometimes their policies fail in short-term but obtain results in the long run. Mousavi is no exception. I will vote for him to try and I will do my best to help him succeed.

You go ahead and vote for him. But it seems that you live abroad and not in iran. so If you really want todo your best to help the man, I guess you are already working on making plans to move back?

There is no such thing as making the claim that a chosen president must succeed 100%. ALL I want to see, as an individual, is for a reformer to cut the hands of the clerics and baseejees and pasdars off the government and the private lives of people. If he or she can do that, if they have enough Jorbozeh and spunk to do this, that is acceptable reform. Until then, I stick to my real and pragmatic 0 and 1 view of the events, which is based on religious tyrrany.

You people need to understand that in politics everything is relative.

Sure. I belive you. Only in this case, i also believe that the system has outlived its usefulness and enjoys no credibility anymore, and all these sideshows of legitimizing and justifying their System, is for the birdies.

KouroshS

Kourosh_jAn, I said many of these Tahrimis are war mongers and supporters of sanctions against Iran. Many does not mean all, additionally some like Kazemzadeh's so called jebheye "melli" on the surface only support sanctions against Iran. Some only support sanctions of various intensity, ...., and of course there are some Tahrimis who are for all out war.
My comment had no reference to you, did it?