Fifth Column of the Postmodern Kind
Aljazeera / Hamid Dabashi This emerging band of Iranian Fifth Columnists took their crudest clue from two back-to-back interviews that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave to Voice of America and BBC Persian programmes in October 2011….Some of their most brazen and hypocritical have openly asked for the US to invade Iran (one of them claiming that the annual traffic and even cancer statistics in Iran would be less than the casualties of a potential war, while another uses creative accounting with the low number of civilian casualties in Libya), while others are using convoluted Orwellian Newspeak of the crudest kind hoping to camouflage their treachery. Another gimmick of these postmodern Fifth Columnists is to try to silence their opposition by accusing them of being agents of the Islamic Republic - not a very imaginative trick, you may think, but nevertheless seemingly effective in the infested pool of exile communities. If you were ever to dare as much as utter a word against these inanities they weave together, then you must be a paid agent of the Islamic Republic. >>>
Re: There's another dimension
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:39 PM PSTThe 99% are not talking about war they want the 1% to pay up. It has nothing to do with pacifism. It is a totally different issue and we all know it. I bet many of that 99% would gladly opt for war if it meant they would benefit personally.
Pacifism has nothing to do with OWS.
VPK
There's another dimension
by iraj khan on Wed Nov 23, 2011 09:36 AM PSTto this,
the 99% are saying:
'No To War
Any War,
With Anybody War,
For Any Reason War'.
Doesn't 'The 1% War Machine'
hear the 99% voices
on the streets of every city and towns in the United States?
نان را به نرخ روز خوردن
hamsade ghadimiWed Nov 23, 2011 06:40 AM PST
that's how the squeaky wheel gets the oil, from nioc, whether pre-revolution or post-revolution. mamad seems to have gotten it from both ends.
Anahid
by Ari Siletz on Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:57 PM PSTThe NIOC chair at USC was endowed before the '79 revolution. The endowment may or may not pay the chair holder's salary; it's simply an academic honor. To be named to a chair acknowledges high academic accomplishment.
Before
by oktaby on Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:31 PM PSTthe tyranny of the rapist republic took hold, there was the ever more clever fabrications and prose of Ali Shariati et al, blatant lies of Khomeini et al, and orchestration of BBC & Neuf Le Chateu et al to help usher it in.
It took a fifth colum to maintain filthy existence of this bastard shi't child of extreme capital ever since. A soft column led by likes of Hosein Nasr et al extended to today via Vali Nasr and spectrum of islamist 'intellectuals' from left to right with smooth prose. From Ganji and Dabashi to Mahajerani and Parsi to name a few; and occasional special guest from Iran ala Amir Arjomand. The current anti war chorus is hardly because pro-war chorus is so loud, or their devotion to Iran. We already saw how they cared when they had a go at it in Iran. That is why their anti-war arguments are all in the broad context of anti-imperialism wrapped in fancy quotes from famous books and authors (Orwell and Chomski seem to be favored). These are the same islamists that once out of Iran, inevitably and without exception landed in countries they used to scream against before arriving to ready tenures and payrolls. That is if they were not already long time residents of the imperialist pig nations. If a war breaks out, fifth colum won't be needing this cast of characters any more. Certainly grants and awards will tend to new recruits.
As for war itself, I do not think most Iranians support it. Those who do, often do so out of frustration as they see their heritage is raped and plundered and anything resembling an opposition is imprisoned or murdered. Particularly, after a valiant uprising of people in 2009. Which incidentally, is when the fifth column went into full gear trying to color Green with green. Their brethren are doing the violence in Iran so Dabashi et al need to keep writing sweet anti war prose from wherever. Columbia U. or Tehran Bureau.
Oktaby
Maybe Ari or better Mamad should also note how Mamad
by Anahid Hojjati on Tue Nov 22, 2011 09:41 PM PSTbecame NIOC professor? NIOC is run by IRI so does this get funded by IRI?
//commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/muhammad_sahimi/profile.html
Nice contrast noted by Ari....
by Disenchanted on Tue Nov 22, 2011 09:22 PM PST....
We, Iranian Democrats, Will NOT Be Intimidated
by Masoud Kazemzadeh on Tue Nov 22, 2011 09:00 PM PSTby threats
//www.melliun.org/didgah/d11/11/21mehranadib.htm
Did anyone ask last night what does NIOC professor mean?
by Anahid Hojjati on Tue Nov 22, 2011 09:01 PM PSTgreat comments by Hamsadeh and Hooshang.
just as i thought and
by hamsade ghadimi on Tue Nov 22, 2011 08:46 PM PSTjust as i thought and speculated in my earlier comment: beware is meant as cheap talk. but this article is more than talk of war; it's about the laughable premise of a prominent member of iri's fifth column "exposing" the fifth column. and mamali trying to intimidate (with cheap talk) to beware just as iri leaders do their khat o neshoon for the opposition is just icing on the cake.
now, if i actually used my real name, the "beware" intimidation tactic would not have been just cheap talk. no wonder niac and casmii members like to egg on the anonymous commenters to reveal their names. so that they can effectively shut them up. trivializing this intimidation tactic and calling those who are offended by it as creampuffs just reveals either the accuser's ignorance on the realities of iri's brutality with its opposition or a childish attempt to minimize typical bullying tactic employed by iri's thugs.
Does Akbar Ganji receving $500,000 from Milton Friedman
by Hooshang Tarreh-Gol on Tue Nov 22, 2011 08:32 PM PSTFoundation constitute a "fifth column" type activity?
Giving the assurance and the "Green" light for future market reforms in Iran.
All these monies Ganji has gotten from Kato Institute, Milton Friedman Foundation,... why doean't Hamid ever mention any of these?
It's definitely post modern; Market Fundamentalist meets Shia Opportunist, willing to implement Neoliberal Market Pentration.
Mammad The Name Dropper!
by G. Rahmanian on Tue Nov 22, 2011 08:57 PM PSTWith your fame and eloquence and being so loud that your voice is heard all over the place, I wonder why you are so upset about a few individuals expressing their opinions here on this site! Why the self-pitying? Aren't you yourself living in a world of fantasy? Why don't those attacked by you ever complain about being forced to leave the site? Mammad, no matter how many times you appear here and there and how many interviews you give, it makes no difference to those who disagree with you on this site. You enter the "debate" here with a ridiculous threat and expect people to thank you for it? You may not have had any intention to threaten others, but that is not what those who responded to your post thought. You may be a big shot some place else, but here on this site we don't see you in those terms. You are like any other individual who visits this site. Those who respond to your comments are not attacking your looks or your being here. They are criticizing your views. So, you either get used to being like everybody else or stop commenting if you don't have any tolerance for other people's opinions!!!
Beware of coming across as cream puffs
by Ari Siletz on Tue Nov 22, 2011 08:11 PM PSTLast night, in a lecture hall, I was listening to a respected Iranian human rights activist speak out against war with Iran. He spent many years in IRI jails, was tortured, several of those around him executed. Yet he still works to protect his country from harm. Tonight I'm reading comments by a gathering of pro-war commenters who shake in their socks at the word "beware." Did anyone call 911? The contrast is noted.
There's no mistaking....
by AMIR1973 on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:43 PM PSTWho is doing the "barking". Let the tone and manner of the Islamists on this blog, this website, and this world serve as the best guide as to who "barks" (and bites) -- 32 years of recent Iranian history have taught us who the barkers are....
Keep barking rhetorician!
by Mammad on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:34 PM PSTMammad
The Islamist Two Step
by AMIR1973 on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:28 PM PSTStep One: Issue threats to "turncoats, traitors, blah, blah"
Step Two: Accuse the targets of your threats of wanting to shut you up
Let's call this the "Beware al-Fatwa Dance"
Mammad
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:28 PM PSTAs Mohammad Alireza said anything you say here is recorded. So you might as well not say something that is going to give ammo to your opponents. Why not express your disagreement in a way that is milder sounding.
You still get your point across but not become a lightning rod for criticism. You know as well as I that USA is ultra sensitive. Why use a phrase that gets people going. Honestly when I talk on the phone there are words I never use. These include AQ; Terror; and the like. At one point some guy kept bringing up these loaded words. I told him I would hang up if he would not stop it. Because they just get your conversation flagged and you go on the *** list. Why look for trouble when it is not needed.
VPK
by Mammad on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:24 PM PSTCome on again! When people put their name on a statement, as I have done too many times, does anyone need to "identify" anyone?
Mammad
Mohammad Ali Reza
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:22 PM PSTYou said that you live in Iran so are not familiar with America. In this place a statement like that is a threat.
Are you aware that every visit, every comment, every click on Iranian.com is logged, filed, and stored by Homeland Security?
You bet. As is pretty much anything else. Not just DHS but also "Google"; "Yahoo" and others. That is why it is a bad idea for people to say things like that on IC or other sites. But people get emotional and in their rage give away things that get them in trouble.
VPK
by Mammad on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:20 PM PSTCome on! You are an intelligent man. Do you not see what these people are trying to do? Is it not obvious what "beware" means? Do you think that I, a highly public person, would "threaten" anyone - forget about my philosophy of being a pacifist and antiwar?
These people - not you - love to shut me up. They want a website in which everyone agrees with everybody else, they can pat each other on the back, and then present the agreement among themselves - a few warmongwers, bivatans, and turncoats - as the "consensus" of [all] Iranian people. That is not going to happen, not as long as I can still write! I will speak about such issues as loudly as possible. As Akbar Ganji said recently, I hate the VF regime, but I also hate those who wish destruction of Iran by sanctions and war.
As for my comment about Professor Dabashi: I meant what I say about myself. Do you think that I give a hoot to these people's character assassination, almost all of whom do not even have the guts to post under their own names and hide behind bogus names? Yes, indeed, we are all entitled to our opinions, you, me, them, Dabashi ...But, if we were to care about baseless, bogus attacks by a a few imbeciles, we would not be in politics.
Yes, these people should be beware. They will be exposed. We will name names.
Mammad
"Beware" Still Not A Threat
by Mohammad Alireza on Tue Nov 22, 2011 07:15 PM PSTIf there is a lawyer in the house I think he or she will confirm that the title used by Mammad does not constitute a threat.
I also do not see a threat contained in the passage by Mammad that Masoud Kazemzadeh has pasted. The passage clearly is referring to the hypothetical situation of Iran being attacked by an aggressor. He claims there are traitors and warmongers on Iranian.com that use fake names. That is not a threat, nor is it news.
But hamsade ghadimi interpreted the “threat” as being “parvandeh sazi”, which is kind of ironic I think.
Are you aware that every visit, every comment, every click on Iranian.com is logged, filed, and stored by Homeland Security?
I don’t mean to aggravate anybody’s paranoia but you may want to take the time to read, “Top Secret America” -- a project nearly two years in the making that describes the huge national security buildup in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
//projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-amer...
You may want to start in the section entitled “Monitoring America” .
Just read HG and he is absolutely right
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Nov 22, 2011 06:55 PM PSTI agree with Vildermose and HG about the "Beware". It means "we are going to identify you". Next time you are in Iran then ...
Not that IRI always waits for people to go back. After all Farrokhzad never went back. At least in America they don't put up with *** that Europe does. I would suggest any threats be taken very seriously. We are dealing with a regime with a long record.
Mammad
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Nov 22, 2011 06:41 PM PSTI do not know about others but have no desire to shut you. When you say "Beware" it is fair to ask "of what?". If you mean beware of reputation well they are not alone. History is already showing handiwork of the "revolutionaries".
Regarding Professor Dabashi he has a right to his opinion. Plenty of others disagree with him. So what? The only definite science is math. Physics and similar ones have some degree of it. Social sciences are all subjective.
As for war I am going to play devils advocate. Both in Iraq and Afghanistan large groups got freedom. Kurds in Iraq are now free do live in peace. Northern Afghans are also free of Taliban. Most of the chaos is by "resistance" not America.
VPK Jaan, the proverbial sick mule (i.e., Palestine) these IRR
by Oon Yaroo on Tue Nov 22, 2011 06:14 PM PSTgoons have been freely riding for the past 33 years is dead now and will no longer give free rides.
You are 1000% right! If these IRR goons want to be a Kass'e Daghtar Azz Ash and fight Israel they should go to the Israeli border and get "it*" from the Israeli soldiers!
*Disclaimer: "It" has no sexual connotations here!
Now come on
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Tue Nov 22, 2011 05:55 PM PSTThe Israel thing has got old that henna has no color now. Anyone who wants to fight Israel should do it on their own not with Iranian resources. Bibi ain't my problem nor should it be "our" thing.
Yes, beware!
by Mammad on Tue Nov 22, 2011 05:53 PM PSTYou people live in your fantasies, and jump on whatever I say that you think gives you your fatansized "ahaa" moment!! Beware! I live in real world!
All I meant was, those who advocate what these people advocate are traitors and turncoats. That is my opinion, and am entitled to it, just as a few of you are on 24/7 alert to attack me and have labeled me with all sorts of words.
Indeed, those who advocate the types of economic sanction that will only hurt the common people - which is tantamount to war, remember Iraq in 1990s? - and "humanitarian intervention" - read unprovoked military attacks - should be, yes, indeed should be, beware that we, the people who oppose what they advocate, will expose them and reveal their true face.
And, unlike what you political "pundits" think, I have been doing this for a long time. Just watch my weekly TV program every Thursday night at 8:00 pm (PDT) on Time TV. And just a sample of writing:
//www.payvand.com/news/07/may/1042.html
//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...
//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...
//www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/tehranbure...
Behind all the smoke and mirror is the desire by a few of you to shut me up. It is not going to happen. How many times should I repeat this? So, do not waste your energies.
And, my voice is being heard loud and clear, both nationally and internationally, on radios, TVs, the most important newspapers around the world everywhere, from the New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and Politico, to the Financial Times, Russian Television, etc. As for your voice who attack me? Well!
Now, come back again and attack! Who gives a hoot to what those of you who think that you have gotten your "ahaa" moment thinks. Say what you want. It is your right. But, do not expect me to get scared, or respond to your nonsense, or stop commenting. That will not happen. Get this in your head please!
And those of you who are attacking Dabashi: You think Professor Dabashi gives a hoot to what you think? Where is he, and where are you? He is a full professor and holder of a prestigious endowed professorship in one of the most prestigious universities in the world.
Yes, beware. Those who advocate war and sanctions on Iran - sanctions that hurt only the ordinary people but not the criminals in power - those who support military attacks on Iran under the disgusting guise of "humanitarian intervention" - will be exposed.History will show who is right, and who is wrong. Beware!
Mammad
Is it me, or some folks here really have their hearts with
by Disenchanted on Tue Nov 22, 2011 05:21 PM PSTBibi and Tel Aviv butchers while blogging on Iranian web site.
They can hardly hide their joy that Iran may turn to dust!
The pattern of Yazeed kosht Hossein in Karbala by Dabashi et al
by Oon Yaroo on Tue Nov 22, 2011 04:58 PM PSTThe smoke and mirror pattern of Yazeed kosht Hossein on Ashura in Karbala by Dabashi et al is well understood and Iranians will not fall for it any more!
Every time, US and its allies discover a new clandestine operation by
the criminal IRR in pursuing nuclear weapons and try to tighten the
screw around its neck, the elements of Hezbollah all get riled up and
start non-sensing around on us!
Dabashi & the gang are every reason why US military strike on IRR's targets should happen sooner than later!
If US arrives at a decision to attack IRR there is not a single solitary thing the anti-Israeli/pro-Palestinian IRR goons can do about it!?
Those who advocate war with Iran are either
by Disenchanted on Tue Nov 22, 2011 04:25 PM PSTIran's smart enemies or stupid frineds!
As for stupid friends, it reminds me of the fable we have in Parsi. The kid had an aunt who dearly loved him. Once a fly sat on his face. The aunt who dearly cared for the nephew took a stone and smashed it on his face so to kill the fly! Fly was dead and so was the kid.
Democracy without smart bombs!
Want To Talk About Warmongers?
by G. Rahmanian on Tue Nov 22, 2011 04:15 PM PSTSure! Let's ask Ahmadinejad how he is going to wipe Israel off the map of the world, peacefully! I wonder why these so-called, "anti-war" SOBs never condemn Ahmadinejad or others who have made such threats!