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2007-07-02 Syria-Lebanon-Iran
USSR Iran Has a Message. Are We Listening?
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Posted by Pappy 2007-07-02 00:05|| || Front Page|| [11 views ]  Top
 File under: Govt of Iran 

#1 Best I can figure, we share no critical interests. Our interests are directly conflicting on all the major issues. Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel and oil come to mind. It would have been nice of the reporter to inform me of what these mutual interests are.
Posted by Mike N.  2007-07-02 00:26||   2007-07-02 00:26|| Front Page Top

#2 That's from Newsweek "We are not in business to report news but to form and influence opinions". ™ ©1979
Posted by twobyfour 2007-07-02 00:32||   2007-07-02 00:32|| Front Page Top

#3 Iran was broke before the Bush administration. Over 40% of the population is on the government payroll. And government wages are extremely low. The private sector is dominated by monopoly firms, owned by the Ayatollahs. The Koran mentions a "khums" tax in which 20% of all booty became the property of the "prophet." Shiites - but not Sunnis - claim that religious political leaders are entitled to "khums." This type of parasitism ensures continued backwardness in Iran. Conditions are ripe for both a commercial and democratic revolution. All that is needed is a US trigger. Axis of evil rhetoric won't do it.
Posted by McZoid 2007-07-02 07:33||   2007-07-02 07:33|| Front Page Top

#4 Here's hoping the Bush administration lets this opening pass it by. The Iranians created this situation, the Iranians can fix it.
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-07-02 07:49||   2007-07-02 07:49|| Front Page Top

#5 Hirsh ignores the Potemkin village staged for his benefit.

Either that or his agenda blinds him to reality. The latter.
Posted by Skunky Glins5285">Skunky Glins5285  2007-07-02 08:21||   2007-07-02 08:21|| Front Page Top

#6 At what point do we begin prosecuting journalists for treason?
Posted by Rob Crawford">Rob Crawford  2007-07-02 09:43|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/]  2007-07-02 09:43|| Front Page Top

#7 I got a message too:

"Mene, mene, tekel upharshin."

Wonder what it means.
Posted by mojo">mojo  2007-07-02 10:24||   2007-07-02 10:24|| Front Page Top

#8 Consider the source,
Iran is not as rosy as this guy wants you to believe. Their stock market is in taters, inflation is running out of control, foreign investment has dried up considerably, and people are rioting in the streets. But this smug asshole sits in his mountain villa and tries to convince a reporter that everything is well in hand. And he buys it hook, line and sinker. I think if we keep up the pressure, they are going to squeak, face saving or not.
Posted by bigjim-ky 2007-07-02 10:39||   2007-07-02 10:39|| Front Page Top

#9 But again, Iran was negotiating with Europe for 13 years all the while sponsoring the people bombing all of the world and still developing their capability and laughed about what suckers the Europeons are. I recall a Fatwa made by clerics in Iran that the development of nuclear bombs was "un-islamic". whats up?

Posted by newc">newc  2007-07-02 11:38||   2007-07-02 11:38|| Front Page Top

#10 The only message I hear from Iran is, "We want to defeat you."
Posted by DarthVader">DarthVader  2007-07-02 15:46||   2007-07-02 15:46|| Front Page Top

#11 "We have a saying in Farsi: When a child walks in darkness, he starts singing or making loud noises because he's afraid of the dark. The Americans are afraid to negotiate with Iran, and that's why they're making a lot of loud noises."

I remember your little proverb, Mike, the next time that syphlitic little pygmy starts running his mouth again.
But Mike musta forgot all that shit...
Posted by tu3031 2007-07-02 16:01||   2007-07-02 16:01|| Front Page Top

#12 The private sector is dominated by monopoly firms, owned by the Ayatollahs.

Recent reports indicate the Revolutionary Guard has surpassed the clerics in economic power, but that doesn't detract from your argument.

Note that Hirsh reports on the urban areas. Nothing about the rural portions (the main source of the IRGC and clerics' support). And 'trade' is fine, if the Iranians also benefit from it. The high unemployment levels indicate otherwise.

Conditions are ripe for both a commercial and democratic revolution. All that is needed is a US trigger. Axis of evil rhetoric won't do it.

Neither will negotiations. Negotiations accord a level of respect. That's the last thing that needs to given to Iran's power cliques.
Posted by Pappy 2007-07-02 22:27||   2007-07-02 22:27|| Front Page Top

#13 Iran and North Korea both hate us deeply. Yet both continuously demand that we deal with them. Its like being stalked by OJ Simpson.
Posted by Super Hose 2007-07-02 22:42||   2007-07-02 22:42|| Front Page Top

23:44 CrazyFool
23:42 Mac
23:40 Abdominal Snowman
23:26 Super Hose
23:21 lotp
23:09 Super Hose
23:07 logi_cal
23:05 Frank G
22:58 Skidmark
22:54 3dc
22:52 Super Hose
22:52 Mike N.
22:42 Super Hose
22:40 Mike N.
22:40 Frank G
22:29 Super Hose
22:27 Pappy
22:26 Frank G
22:26 Nimble Spemble
22:25 Super Hose
22:20 Frank G
22:20 Pappy
22:20 sinse
22:18 Nimble Spemble









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