Anyway

To Payam S

I confess I am a fervent fan of Ali G’s work.  While your command of language is far superior to his, your logic, and use of big words that mean nothing doesn’t disappoint.  Your attitude if taken as comedy is a great piece of work. . .too bad there is nothing to laugh about here.  Basically you touch on two major issues in your address to me which I reply to:

1.       There is nothing wrong with a child learning to drive with his father.

That premise on its face is so ridiculous that it really shouldn’t need a response but since it’s relevant to proving why you are part of the problem, here’s my response.  Firstly the father’s right to “raise his child” as he pleases ends where the right of other people to walk and drive safely in the streets begins.  There is a concept you might struggle with, that a family’s right to enjoyment doesn’t trump an old lady’s right to live and not to get run over because the kid with his hand on the steering wheel turns and looks at his mommy for a full 5 seconds! 

Secondly I remember vaguely something called the law on this subject.  Do you think in a country that has a law against your  talking on the phone while you drive (yes Iran), the law is vague as to whether a 4 year old child can sit on daddy’s lap and drive because “daddy feels like it?”

You remember the law right?  That “thingy” that is outrageously not followed by some during an election process, or when people without “official authority” yank your cousin out of her car because her hair is showing?  Where do you think those people(those police/judges/leaders of that regime) learned that laws are “suggestions” only, and following them is “marg barayeh hamsayeh”?  They were this 4 year old kid one day, and learned the same “daaaash Mashti” attitude you did.  Thanks for demonstrating how that attitude can help justify the driving of a 4 year old kid on a public street.

2.       Western civilization is backward because “whites” ran in the mountains when we had castles

Welcome. . . I was expecting you (if you read the last paragraph of my first post).  Firstly of all I am amazed by your clear insult of fellow Iranians by implication here.  I never speak of western civilization and or AMERICAN or EUROCENTRIC values as you claim.  If you actually read what I wrote, I speak of taking personal responsibility, showing respect for the environment and human rights.  You are the one who suggests somehow that these ideas are so wildly “radical” that they must be non Iranian ideas.  Funny how you aptly observe that “Farting” is a universal attribute, but somehow caring for a human being, or respecting the safety of others, or the environment is EUROCENTRIC?!!! How insulting is that to Iranians by suggesting these are AMERICAN OR EUROPEAN values that we cannot and should not try to live up to.  Secondly with respect to us living in castles or having (Hamameh Kashan) for that matter. . . these are truly commendable historic events, while my concern is current events.  I have often fantasized using your logic on a boss one day.  I imagine being pulled into an office and asked why I screwed up on a pending deal with the client, and in response to the criticism I stand up spit in my bosses face and proclaim that I made the honor-roll 5 times in the 3rd grade!!!  As an Iranian I did not compare Iran to any other country or geographic region, I merely compared what we are as a people to what we could be (so that we do not harm one another with our selfishness).  Lastly it is all too easy but speaking of backward white folks (by the way I detest racial pot shots whether they are at my race or any other), it seems to me that the boy you are defending is in fact driving something that was invented by those “backward” white people.  Funny how we can go back 2000 years to glorify ourselves and skip the last 120 years in the process. 

I am quite bemused that you associate the exercise of personal responsibility, respect for laws aimed at public safety (such as not letting a four year old drive on city streets), and respect for fellow human beings, as AMERICAN or EUROCENTRIC ideas, and you admonish me (in such an eloquent way) to keep these “views” to myself.

The next time you are outraged about some baseeji who doesn’t respect human rights, doesn’t follow the law, or creates one without regards to justice and fairness, or one that gets accepted to the university out of turn and based on “sahmieh,” or builds a house where your uncle was denied a building permit, remember that your ideology and modus operandi is what has created that baseeji and the system that supports him. 

The “daaash maashti”, “bi khial amoo”, offering a bribe when it’s your deal, or my “4 year old cousin looks cute driving, and don’t you dare criticize him” attitude is exactly why we have to thank you (the collective Payams) for, every abuse of rights, abuse of well being, and general abuse of humanity that we as Iranians are subjected to by the regime, and we subject one another to at every turn of the clock.

One should arrest this child abuser

Rahaii

One should arrest this child abuser and teach him the fatherhood. While watching this clip, I was thinking any minute a car could get in an accident and the child could die in a second. The Ass@#$% father is not smart to think of this possibility. Do you guys think until we have society with mentality such as this, we should expect any changes in their government? Shame!!

Lol, the crap people argue about

The father is letting his son have some fun in a street it seems, not in the highway, and The main reason why there are many crashes in Iran nowadays isn't because of 6 year olds driving, but because the islamic republic is too fucking retarded and useless to even do the simplest of tasks, in this case, creating safe highways.

Paper Pusher, you're jealous cause he drives better than you!

Who do you think you are tryin to give us "backward" people lessons on manners. What? you think AMERICANS or EUROPEANS are so civilized in comparison to us? There is nothing wrong with that child learning how to drive with his father. I think you're just jealous cause he drives better than you. Your beloved western "civilization" (or lack thereof) is the most backward. Yea you want us to learn from bunch of white folks who used to run in the middle of mountains and who the greeks and romans and persians called "barbarians" during and prior to the Muslim golden age and who are today responsible for mass murder around the world and the most brute and despicable economic, political and military regimes in the world. Anyways, you speak as if corruption, littering, spitting, and farting are attributes of only iranians and the iranian society. Get a grip on reality daash mashti, don't try to impose your Eurocentric views on others and stop with this self-righteous bullshit. 

Thanks

Dear shahabshab thanks so much for the name of the song.

Reminds me of old days

This is how I learned to drive. I took (Without permission) my father's car to enghelab circle when I was 11 to watch a movie with friends. Crazy.

......

You-tube says this kid is (only) 4 years old....OMG! I believe the dad's foot was on the brake pedal and gas pedal.

Paperpusher is right!

"iinjaa Iraaneh daadaash..."

Attitutes like these are embedded in our culture, and not only are they encouraged, for one to choose to go against them, is considered 'naive', 'stupid' and even 'rude'.

If you work in a government office, and your uncle sends a friend, you are supposed to take care of the friend out of turn. You'll be disrespecting your uncle, if you make his friend stand in line, like everyone else.

"aashnaa daashtan" trumps having qualifications and urgency, in every matter. We are not ashamed of having our business taken care of, out of turn; we brag about it!

If you refused to take a bribe, you'd be considered 'naive', or 'goodie two shoes', and if you try to obey the traffic laws, and God forbid, do not put everyone else's life at risk, by having your kid drive your car, you are just 'no fun'!

The revolution, needs to begin from within all of us...

To Paper Pusher

I could not have said it any better and I didn't :). You are absolutely right on with every point you made. Bottom line is this: It will take generations of soul searching and culture cleansing to be able to get out of the mess that we are in.

This mess is called being UNCIVILIZED.

To Shahabshahab

I take absolute exception to what you say.  I have lived in Iran (and no I am not talking about 30 years ago when I left for the first time, as a child), but during the last couple of years. 

I find fault with letting the boy drive, and if you read my earlier post you could guess that chances are if I can tell you what brand of car is in the clip(Pride) then I must have familiarity with the environment.

I have experienced what you are talking about and more not just Vanak through Aghdasieh in Tehran, from places like koocheh shahrdari in toopkhooneh, to Cheragh Bargh and Daam Pezeshki.  I've spent considerable time in places outside of Tehran (nope not Abianeh or the common tourist traps, but less fortunate places like Golmagerd, and Shahabieh.

 You have the typical excuse for the general  lack of responsibility, you romanticize it.  I assure you having attended several funerals for people under 30 (and some under 20), who died in car accidents that there is nothing romantic or amazing about the blurred line between life and death. 

There is nothing "bahal" or "ba safa" about letting your kid drive, or dumping your poosteh tokhmeh (trash) in the middle of the street, or "zerang baazi" or all the other things people like you dismiss as romantic, and the spice of life. 

It's hard for you to understand that the same disregard for human life that let's us Iranians dump trash in the middle of Melat Park, or let a kid drive, is the same disregard (displayed in a more extreme way) that lets a baseeji not hesitate to beat some kid in the street who is expressing their ideas. It's the kind of disregard that places mine ahead of yours. 

It's just like every other unacceptable thing in our culture: "Marg khoobeh vali barayeh hamsayeh"  (death is a wonderful concept but only for one's neighbor).

When a cleric's son uses their influence to get what they want we call it corruption, but when an uncle picks up the phone so you can get something at some agency we call that "Ashna karamo joor kard"  (an acquaintance fixed my affairs). 

When a government official gets something out of turn (like a telephone line from the city) we call that bi edalati (injustice).  However an uncle builds a building with two more floors than his building permit allows we call that zerang baazi (being slick).

When are we going to realize that our actions are never in a vacuum and the consequences are interdependent.  Not cute. . .

Not surprised

Here is a revelation: Us Iranians are "porru". We feel entitled. We dont give a damn about anyone else but ourselves. We are a third world country, who worships God, Mohamad and a bunch of other thugs after him. We have no common sense, we drive like morons, we walk all over the streets, we drive with our lights off at nights, we dont follow traffic laws, we let our 10 year old sit on our lap and drive, and son and so forth,..... and we think we have the deepest and best culture.

No wonder we  let a bunch of child molesting, stinking thuggery,"rishu" thieves rape our country for the past 30 years plus. We deserve it.

.....

A very pretty & soothing song indeed...thank you, shahabshahab, for the name of the singer and the song on. I found it on you-tube and have added it to my collection:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=avFh8J0eyT4

It seems to me that this little boy has driven many times with his dad......oh Gosh.....it is kind of dangerous....I recall Britney Spear got a ticket for driving with her infant son in her hand.......it is a good idea to learn piano, violin, ballet, golf, soccer or other sports when you are young, but not driving.... 

Name of the song

This is by Alireza Gharehkhani called Shab Shod. Great song!

And to those who find all kinds of faults with this bioy's video driving: You need to live in Iran to understand! It is aa culture of love,, contrasts, and an amazing competing poles of life and death always vying for space. Sometimes life wins and sometimes death does. It is a dance. In the meantime, it is amazing!

There is nothing like it on earth!

room for improvement

i remember the good old days too but iran has the world's worst record in fatal car accidents about 30 per 100,000 population.  this video doesn't seem that cute anymore.

iri must watch every household

what kind of iri are they runnig here. mamlekat dar o darvazeh nadareh engar

iri do your job 

I like the song

Does anyone knows the name of the song or the singer. 

Chill and take a deep breath.

This is a kid having a great time with his dad. Cute and a pretty good driver too.

I loved when as a kid my dad let me shift gears for him. You are 100 times more at risk from regime thugs, pollution, and half dozen more hazards. 

OKtaby

IRI

does not give a shit about saving lives.  The only thing they care about is to remain in power. This kid's parents, would have been immediately arrested/shot if they were protesting.  

Low lives... father and

Low lives... father and mother singing to a stupid song during child abuse and endangering the poor little kid and public's lives!!! Idiots think they are cool.... !!!

username amgw4

just think....you are free to post your anti human nonsense here. Something your species denies everyone in Iran........

How's the internet speed in south lebanon, btw? 

____________

IRAN FIRST

____________

yes "amgw4"...'Punk kids"...

reminds of ...well...you!

Actually in tehran there is very little police presence

All that nonsense you hear about them harassing people is complete bs. And the police are generaly very wary of Tehran's population as most Tehranis are porru. Of course if things get out of hands e.g. riots and looting then the police will crack down hard but in general in Tehran your biggest concern is punk kids and poor criminals.

Amazing, not a single police in sight ...

..  to arrest this idiot of a father. I suppose irainan police are required to target their resources where they are most needed , i.e. enforcing strict dress code on loose iranian women not wearing chador!

To David

I agree with your assement as well.  Here's where we might ways though. . . As you mentioned there is a corrupt CEO/regime that is clearly benfiting from the disarray. 

One cannot have any reasonable expectation that someone/something that is benefitting from an action without any negative repercussion desist the action.

Here the CEO/regime is benefitting without suffering negative consequences from its actions.

The people (ALL people not part of the regime. . . wealthy Merchants inluded) are not simply benefitting from their actions.  Rather, each is being harmed by the negative byproduct of another's benefit.  I do not expect All people to take a bullet trying to stop the regime's actions that are harmful to them (something I myself would clearly hesitate to do). 

However there is no bullet stopping them from the harm they commit on each other.  The burden of removing that harm in Iran is on its people's shoulder not the collective regime. 

I accept the correlation you are alluding to as to an explanation but not an excuse. . .

To illustrate this point let me use a somewhat drastic anecdote of personal experience:

Years ago I worked in a Criminal Prosecutor's office in the sex crimes division, prosecuting sexual predators.  Inevitably every single case I ever came across if one was to research the predator's background, every single one had been a victim of sex crimes and violence themselves growing up.  That clearly explained why they behaved the way the did. . .but it never excused it. . . hard as it is to deal with, not everyone who is a victim of a sex crime grows up to be a sexual predator, in fact most don't.  The past explains the situation, but it doesn't excuse it.

 Accordingly the people of Iran have a very clear explanation as to why they behave the way they do (based on the theory you explained above).  However this explanation does not amount to a valid excuse for their personal actions.

Regime change, democracy and secularism are all great goals worthy of pursuit (and full of associated dangers). . .I applaud all who struggle in these pursuits, but we don't have to be willing to take a bullet to start change.

Whatever the issue from letting your kid drive to importing defective building material, Iranians as a people can start by looking in the mirror and saying, "I know my dad did it. . .my cousin does it. . .and my neighbors have been doing it. . .but I wont." 

Until they do. . . they are as much a victim of themselves as they are a victim of any regime.

to paper pusher

people create/tolerate regimes and regimes set examples and promote people's culture The two compliment and suppliment one another Without one other can't exist. your points are valid and on the other side of the coin, the system promoted by the regime promotes disrespect, fraud, bribery, crime etc... and at best makes no fundamental changes to improve them

 One can not have a decent business if its staff are corrupt and at he same time a corrupt CEO does not promote responsibililty among the staff and also fires honest ones

How cute. . .it's a human airbag. . .

This is precisely why we have a few decades to go as a people even if the current regime disappeared tomorrow.  I can think of a million things the current regime does wrong every second of every day.  Making people aware of the importance of seatbelts while driving is not one of them. 

It's not like this guy is driving a Peykan with no seatbelts.  He's driving a Pride (Kia) that has seatbelts so he's just not using his head.

 So here's the million dollar question: I can understand the multitude of things that people in Iran cannot avoid in being harmed (lack of freedom, environmental hazard, poor healthcare, economical hardship to name a few), most of which they have no control over. . . why does it seem that they have no inclination to excersise personal responsibility in areas they have control over? 

I mean this father can't control his kid not having his head bashed in by the baseej during a demonstration, but he can control not having his kid crushed to death because the car loses a tire or gets rear ended while the father put the kid between 80 kilos and a steering wheel!!

It seems that regionally speeking (middle east) we suffer from culturally rooted  lack of a sense of responsibility both to ourselves and to others.

I can imagine (from firsthand experience) a guy who imports fake soap in Iran to make a quick dollar, and uses the dollar to buy meat that was contaminated because some merchant imported rotten meat to make a quick dollar, and the soap guy has to take a family member who is poisened by the meat  to the hospital where the family member takes medicaiton that is contaminated and was imported from China by a doctor who was trying to make a quick dollar, and then when the family member dies they throw a huge funeral where the doctor, soap importer, meat merchant, and the father of the "crushed kid" get together and with tears and in between bites of fessenjoon talk about how the regime has destroyed Iran.

The current regime (and the previous ones) is diarreah, cough and bone ache (symptoms) the virus (cause) is our general lack of a sense of responsibility to ourselves and others.

The cure is in the collective mirror. . .

Now I am feverishly waiting for the "Cyrus the Great. . ..blah blah blah. . . damn Arabs blah blah blah, cursed Monarchist blah blah blah" responses all of which will be addressing the symptoms not the cause.

As an aside I hope this kid survives childhood despite his father.

LOL, the first time I drove on my own I was 9.

I allready drove on my dad's lap around 6/7 i think.

Child Abuse

Wrong Seat

No Seat Belt

Operating a dangerous machine 

Endangering the child

Endangering the Public