Sic Semper Tyrannis

Correction

This darned editor of iPad makes a monkey of you if you don't watch it like a hawk. All along, in my previous post, I typed gamble and gambler and they ended as gumble and gumblers. Maybe I should disable the thing. In any event, please overlook the substitutions. There may be other inappropriate words. Your graciousness in overlooking them is appreciated by yours truly. I promise to reciprocate your kindness.

AO: thanks for the blog. It stimulated an interesting discussion and I hope we all stay friends in spite of our differing takes on things.

Bahram g

You're welcome Azarin Jaan - Thank you for the comment

Of course, credit goes to Fesenjoon.  I just posted what he created.  Obviously, and contrary to comment above you, this cartoon targets the obsolete pseudo intellectuals who are still trying to remain relevant, and not all Iranians.  But I'm sure that you got that anyway.  And you are correct.  I may also add that not only they have not learned from their mistakes, they are also obnoxious enough to demand that we listen to them and follow their advice on what Iran's future government should look like!  As if they didn't do enough damage the first time around.  

I guess it's their ego... 

Dear Bahram; MG and others

Thanks for the explanations and they do help. But no matter how you put it there are different people with different positions. Ferenjoon always makes it sound like there is "one" Iranian mind. And it is rotten to the core.

I believe it is a reflection of his own mind and perhaps guilt feeling. Yes of course there are those who do not learn. But what about the rest. Most who did not make that mistake or learned their mistakes.

Anyway repeating myself is pointless you know what I mean. If "Iranian" people were as Fesenjoon and AO say then we'd have a lot more problems living in the West than we do. 

Spot-on

Thank you dear AO! And Thank you dear Fesenjoon! You have totally managed to represent the pre-revolution Iranian-"intellectuals" ...Their main tragedy is that they haven't yet learned from their mistakes. We still see them defending the same obsolete ideologies (even here on IC..:-)

Dear AO, Thank you so much for sharing this great cartoon! Az. 

Dear VPK and Bahram G. Goll

Very succinctly and eloquently, BG stated it!

Thank you! 

Dear VPK

It isn't that there are people who literally NEVER learn. Never is a long time. Yet there are people who are heavily prone to making the same mistake, some very devastating, time and again. Without naming specific people, we see these extreme cases. In addition, there are those who are not as extreme in this deadly fix, yet they do heavily tend to make the same mistakes frequently enough.
Groups examples. People who followed ayatollah kashani and rallied behind that "man of god" to put an end to the nascent nationalistic movement of 1950s. Many of these very same people rallied behind another "man of god" Khomeini and gave us IRI. And some who are still supporting these cloaked charlatan to their last breath.
Individual examples. A compulsive gumbler who keeps making the same mistake time and again. He never learns the obvious. You cannot beat the house, no matter how hard you try. The odds are set at 55/45. As he keeps playing, on balance, the house keeps on fleecing him. Yet, he persists and keeps on plugging his quarters in the slot machine.
Or, the case of an alcoholic who keeps telling himself that one drink. Only one drink is not going to kill him. He can stop at only one lousy crumby drink. After all it is a hot day and a bottle of bear would really go down nice and calm his taught nerves. No, I know when to stop, he rationalizes. And, you guessed it. That one bear is often the first in a bout of debilitating drinking. Then, having suffered the terrible consequences of his bing that started with the promise of drinking only one bottle, he goes on the wagon again, to fall of it again, he keeps making the same devastating mistake unable to learn and mend his ways.
Of course not everyone who gumbles becomes a compulsive gumbler. The same is true of people who drink. Yet, there are significant numbers who don't seem to learn from their mistakes when they experience, time and again, their vulnerability in such practices.
In short, this entire topic is highly complex and doesn't lend itself to a simply binary, up or down, present or absent classification. To be sure, there are gradations regarding these attributes. A sort of normal distribution function where most people cluster in the middle and the remainder occupy the two tails. Speaking of two, my long two cents :). Have a great day.

On Sunni Minorties Opposition to IR

VPK jaan, what I meant to say was that there were many communities opposed to Khomeini from the very start. To begin with all Sunni communities (and that's not just Kurds, but includes, Arab, Balooch, Torkmen,..) had a supicious view of a Shia based leadership. It was no accident that Kurdestan, Khozestan, and Gonbad Kavoos were centers of early resistance and suppression. To this list you could add Urban women, unemployed workers,...

Kurds have so many problems that sometimes it defies logic. Kurds have problems from history, to geography, to anthropology,... However what makes Iranian Kurdestan an  anomaly is a combination of two facts: IR has not been able to put and end to people's rsistance in Kurdestan, the workers movement in there has been a true national vanguarde for all these years.

So, instead of a seperation between Kurdish and Persian workers, they have called and acted on solidarity with other workers, regardless of their ethnicity.

The project is not to turn Kurdestan to a mini-islolated 'socialist republic,' but to create such a republic on a national scale, through  class solidarity of all workers, regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion,...

Rea, TS-9 & Bahram G

Rea - Good observation here:

 I know a lot of East Europeans living in WE and US and, yet, very critical of their respective adopted countries. More often than not, it's out of despair for seeing their home countries lagging behind while the "imperialist, capitalist West" despite all its shortcomiings is still at the forefront.

I think some of this is present in the disgruntles Iranian diaspora as well.  I mean how would you feel if you scream at the U.S. all day and night, but then have to use 60 year old American museum pieces as your fighter aircraft?  It makes you feel inferior, and these narcissists just can't be inferior.  Hence, the defelection by attacking the "West."

TS-9: I don't know and I don't want to speak on his behalf.  What I would say though is that his blocking was totally unfair.  I know things about Fesenjoon's background that would really make others appreciate his intellect and his contributions to the Iranian society if I was willing to share them-which I never will since he has entrusted me with that information.  One can simply see from his contributions on IC how talented he is.  He can write articulately, he can create artwork and he can express his points of view succinctly.  JJ should really unblock him.  

Bahram G - Just wanted to say that your comment below about what you had heard from your friend was thought provoking.  Thanks for sharing. 

Anahid, RG, Divaneh and Oon Yaroo

Anahid - Your three categories are really spot on.  The summer traveling category especially so.  These people will sell their own mothers so that they could enjoy the "best of both worlds," as the saying goes.  I also think that they are nationalistic natcissists who simply think that they are superior to everyone else and, as such, nothing could possibly be their fault.  Someone else must have f***d up their well thought of plans.  Can't possibly be them. 

RG - you are correct that they are oposed to progressive ideas.  That is because they have pigeonholed themselves into defending the decrepit IR ideology at all costs.   

Oon Yaroo - You have summarized these characters' nature very well:

The stationary 3-staged head-in-the-butt topology you have illustarted here characterizes the static intellectual quagmire of some of our fellow Iranians (type c) who not only don't feel any remorse for their past errors of judgment but also insist on being right in their present view of the world and its dynamics!

Very well said.  These people just can't let go.  They want to remain relevant.  They STILL think that they are the "intellectual class" of the Iranian society-- or the Iranian diaspora.  That's why they're all over the airwaves spewing nonsense 24/7.

Divaneh jaan- Thank you.  I think you had the most neutural and levelheaded analysis.  Everyone should read your comment to better understand this blog.

Dear Bahram

and Oon Yaroo. Who are examples of people who learn and do not learn. I want to know your opnions on some well known people. Maybe a handful of each type are helpful.

Oon Yaroo jaan

What you said is excellent and to the point. You know the saying, "live and learn?" some of us live by it's opposite dictum, live and don't learn. It is said, minds are like parachutes. They work only when open. I say, let's keep our minds open, discuss things with candor without resort to name-calling or profanity. That's the way we can better today than we have done in the past. And don't dwell excessively on the past. Learn the lessons quickly, adjust the course, and move on.My best to you,Bahram g

Dear DK

It is funny how some people claim to speak for "Kurds" or "Azeri". Inevitebaly they tend to be leftist separatists. Who portray "their" ethinic group as some kind of wronged angles persecuted by evil "Persians".

They always forget how we are all in this together. Want to use any excuse to sow division. The absolute worst of the gang is the leftists. Braniwashed by Soviets still dream of little "Socialist Republic". Forgot their masters are long gone.

Ao jaan

Good blog, I think is is jealousy .

BTW why doesn't Fesenjoon write blogs under Zereshk ? Particularly liked Zereshk's chicken avetar.    :)

Outsider's two cents

A generalization of sort, I'd say.

I know a lot of East Europeans living in WE and US and, yet, very critical of their respective adopted countries. More often than not, it's out of despair for seeing their home countries lagging behind while the "imperialist, capitalist West" despite all its shortcomiings is still at the forefront.

Briefly, unless it is openly and unequivocally Khamenei/AN (or Putin and Castro, respectively), I'd say it's humain.

PS. greets to Fj, these drawings look very much Kamasutra to me. ;o))

VPK jan more here on Kurds Loyal to the Monarchy

I don't know

how it was with Kurds but even that is an oversimplification. Were there no Kurds who supported Khomeini. I bet there must have been a bunch. MG keeps making it sound like "Kurdistan" is some kind of separate place.

It is not. Some Kurds supported Islamism others did not. I know Kurds who were staunch Monarchists. I even know Kurds at high level positions with Shah. Kurds are not some kind of miracle "angelic" people. They are like any other Iranians.

Just as that guy with the 3 daughters there are bad ones. They are also good ones like some I know. Please do not try to divide Iranians among radical or ethnic groups. It is a disservice and only serves our enemies. It is trademark of separatists.

I am not

taking is personally. Figured to explain my position as one person. Because the word "we" gets over used. There were a lot of Iranians doing different things. A relatively small number were political activists.

Many were not I am  pointing out that side. To remind people that for every activist there were 10s of "others". Who did not participate in revolution. Many were outside in various universities. Others inside but not interested in trouble. 

Fesenjoon / AO make it sound like there was "one Iranian" mind. That their picture somehow represents all of Iranians. That is what I have for a long time tried to dispel. Because it is totally untrue; false and an oversimplification.

oon Yraoo

R u sure there is only three types? no spectrum? no rainbows? I think there is even different pattern and shades in black. I happened to be a so called basijee at the age of 13, I was a member of Comita mrkaz at the age of 14. I was so willing to die for my country and my believe, and anything  NO FEAR. today I am so afraid of dying i know it would be the end of me

oon Yraoo

hey

"...to make their country Islamic."

Did we? Really? I could assure you that was not the case in Kurdestan, and by far Kurdestan wasn't the only one either. Since day one IR has faced opposition from a multitude of forces in Iran. A totalizing narrative borders on distortion.

In '79 what we had was basically an anti-shah movement, with a lier at the top, that promised everything to everybody. Pretty difficult to come out in one piece.

The 1979 Revoultion was indeed multi-faceted, and complex. Any one-dimentional reductivism, might simplify the history, but it wouldn't be an adequate treatment of it.

Dont take it personally VPK

I don't know why you take everything so personally? I mentioned Carter and I had no IC contributor in mind and certainly not you. I however find it so daft when people blame Carter as if Iranian people had nothing to do with the revolution. As if, people did not see the Khomeini in the moon, did not strike, did not protest, did not sacrifice to make their country Islamic.

What I can tell everyone who blame Carter or any other foreigner is this, if we bend over and ask people to fuck us we can then hardly complain about being fucked. I am sorry but I have no better way of explaining myself. We cannot expect the heads of other states to care for us. We are the only people responsible, and that is a collective we, a nation with its entire good and bad people.

I guess VPK

is of the first type since I did not make those mistakes. To have made them I would have had to have been involved in the revolution. But I sure learned the hard way the price of them. Now moving ....

There are 3 (three) types of people in this world!

a) Those who learn from others mistakes,

b) Those who learn from owns' mistakes, and

c) Those who never learn!

The stationary 3-staged head-in-the-butt topology you have illustarted here characterizes the static intellectual quagmire of some of our fellow Iranians (type c) who not only don't feel any remorse for their past errors of judgment but also insist on being right in their present view of the world and its dynamics!

To put it in layman's terms these boys and girls haven't learned anything and will never ever learn anything and as the famous poet of the 11th century stated, "Gavv Meayand Va Goosaleh Meravand or the other way around!?"

With much apologies and balanesbats to our friends!

MASHTI

Thank U for communicating it so well. This thing was on my tongu I just didn't know how to say it in my poor english  thank U

 Azizam, we're living in 21st century, all this West and East is now
hogwash. We have one globe, one world, just entered its 7,000,000,000
mark. Full of problems and solutions. Sholdn't we be more concerned with
more substantial issues?

Hey

I blame Carter and I was not instrumental in anything. In fact I was a student and a nobody at the time. But I blame Carter more than the Shah. The resvolution was in no way "my failure".

Heck I did not have the pull to put a dent in either Shah or Khomeii. How the heck is a college kid totally unpolitical be "responsible". I had my head up math and physics I did not even realize what was going on. 

Nex time you guys blame someone mkae sure you blame the right people. I do blame Jimmy Carter. Mostly based on what I learend since. Now go blame people who has power and motive. Not a geek who did not have either power or motive.

Nice job Fesenjoon and AO

As you said AO, a picture worth a 1000 words. I don't think it blames those who criticize the West, but those who criticize the west for Iran's failures, and especially those who fell for their Imam's tricks. These are the group who never take their head out of their arses and keep blaming anyone for their own failures.

I agree with MG that the previous regime (and not just Shah) was instrumental in handing the country to the Mullahs and many of those officials who are now West residing fall in the above category. You know which ones I mean, those who blame Carter,...

AO jan, there were also many substantial intellectuals that

opposed khomeini from day one, why don't  you ever mention them? Shamlo. Rahimi, Haj Sied Javadi, Lahiji,...

And who gives a hoot about some loser, haters living in the West and acting like a bunch of a-holes.

Azizam, we're living in 21st century, all this West and East is now hogwash. We have one globe, one world, just entered its 7,000,000,000 mark. Full of problems and solutions. Sholdn't we be more concerned with more substantial issues?

Seize the time.

Storm the reality studios.

AO they are not even "west hating"

They just have a hatred for any progressive idea, be it coming from west, east to some galaxy in outer space. The "lefty type", still gets excited about the confused writings of some 1960's had been arab ultra nationalist, mis labeling his discredited ideas with "socialism", "anti imperialism", etc, whilst playing straight into the hands of most reactionary , imperialistic forces. Otherwsie , they have no problem enjoying all the fun that the decadent west offers them. Else they would be back in Iran serving the "anti-imperialist" islamist republic at these times of great need, wouldn't they? 

"Personal business must yield to collective interest."

Couple reasons for this AO

Dear AO, you bring up a valid point in your blog and let me write some reasons that west residing Iranians still oppose west but defend IRI:

1.Some have not been successful in the west so by criticizing west, they can blame their failures on the west.

2. Some are interested in yerarly travels to Iran so they don't want to risk criticizing IRI. Western countries have a lot more freedom of speech so it is easier and less risky to criiticize west rather than IRI.

These are just couple reasons but by no means every critiicism of west is wrong. I just don't get how anyone can write about wrongs in US but stay quiet when people are raped and killed in Iran.

vpk jaan

I always enjoy reading Ur comments. I was just commenting in my personal  experience Iranian in 80s didn't appreciate west, but we definitely do now. That's all.