Quite utterly bonkers. If Gordon Brown could organise millions of people to turn out on to the streets then Labour would have done rather better in the most recent set of elections.Addressing crowds at Friday prayers at Tehran University, Khamenei said that an 11 million-vote margin proved no fraud had taken place.
He blamed Great Britain and Iran's external enemies for the unrest, calling the British government the 'most treacherous'.
Unfortunately I now think the Iranian protesters are going to be crushed quite brutally.
14 comments:
It's amazing what conspiracy theorists think governments can organise. Particularly when most other commentators don't think government could organise a quick sup in a brewing establishment.
Perhaps he still bears a grudge for the behaviour of the British (and BP) towards his country during the 20th century,at times enthusiastically supported by the US? The Pahlavi regime were part of the strategy to seize the country's oil wealth.
Any complaint from the UK about democracy and its suppression sounds very hollow indeed, to say the least, against that backdrop.
Two wrongs, of course.
It's what totalitarian governments do to take the heat away from themselves. We should know the form by now as our government does it too.
"It started in America, it's global, high terrorist alerts etc.."
Quietens down the dissenters!
The coup against Mousaedq (sp?) was very wrong, and the low point in postwar British foreign policy. The Iranian people have every right to resent the British & American coup d'etat.
However the successors of the 1950s British and American intelligence services when it comes to denying the Iranian people their democratic rights aren't the current US or British governments, but the Iranian ayatollahs.
Having said that it probably is best for the US and UK to be fairly restrained with what they say because the legitimate resentments can easily be whipped up.
What was nuts was saying that Madmaninadinnerjacket got 63% of the vote, which nobody believes. had they said he got 51% and Moussavi 47% with the others sharing the missing 2%, then I for one would have believed them.
I can feel another Tianmen Square brewing.
Mark's right - there's another Tianemen coming. The Ayatollah is so convinced of his impregnability. That system truly stinks.
Interesting that he thinks 11m margin constitutes proof of no fraud. Presumably 12m would prove it even more. Perhaps this was the thinking behind the decision not to let him win at 51% (cf Mr Wadsworth).
I have considered this. I think it is safe to say that we all, apart from a few wholly worthless cunts, hate the present regime. But there is a difference over how best to show our hatred of it.
I think Obama is broadly right not to be openly taking sides as the last thing we want is for the protestors, who are genuine patriots who have emerged from the Iranian people, to be viewed as puppets of the west. That would drive people into Ahmedinejad's arms. The desire for a strong, proud Iran which all Iranians share should be used against the mullahs, not for them. (I'm not directly making a statement about nukes, but I'd wager it isn't just Islamists who support the programme currently in place).
I am thinking that our best way of showing solidarity may be to offer asylum to a few thousand of the leading oppositionists. We could easily combine it with reducing overall immigration.
They are educated, liberal professionals who hate Islamism- exactly the sort of people we want, & a standing rebuke to those who still accept the "argument" that brown people have all got to shut up & submit to "community elders" & follow sharia because that's all they're good for.
The question is whether they could do more good in Iran or out of it. Because we have a long tradition of taking in freedom lovers who have then gone on to coordinate resistance in their home countries. My own grandfather was a member of the Polish forces which were organised & trained here. The Islamic Revolution was itself partly orchestrated from Paris, perhaps the resistance could be likewise.
Of course this is only vague speculation which may be unworkable & have bad consequences, but I definitely think the idea should be entertained. I am impatient at not being able to do something, but grandstanding of the kind that we pundits can do without consequence doesn't seem like an option for politicians.
I once knew a political refugee (from months before these upheavals) who was sent back to Iran. I suppose it is vaguely justifiable because her life wasn't in danger & she is still doing reasonably ok back home. But I still miss her. So the cynics say as I'm just making these statements so as to get some classy women around me :)
It's as you say probably not really a joking matter, but just to add to your post, Gordon Brown is very good at making people detest their government, so if he could manage anything, this might be it.
"Interesting that he thinks 11m margin constitutes proof of no fraud. Presumably 12m would prove it even more. ".
TDK-Whatever happened to good old 99% victory margins for incumbent dictators? They must have definately been clean under Khameni's reasoning.
"What was nuts was saying that Madmaninadinnerjacket got 63% of the vote, which nobody believes. ".
MW- Well yeah, the idea that he increased in popularity over the last few years is bizarre.
"(I'm not directly making a statement about nukes, but I'd wager it isn't just Islamists who support the programme currently in place).".
Asquith- That's certainly true, in fact I believe Iran's nuclear programme actually started under the Shah.
I'll tell you what else pisses me off, the fact that the newsreaders now pronounce it "I-rah-nian" rather than "I-ray-nian".
That's just as annoying as the Yanks saying "Eye-raq" and "Eye-ran" rather than "I-raq" and "I-ran". Or indeed people saying "Musslim" and "Isslam" rather than "Muzlim" and "Izlam".
Maybe we could go back to "Persian" and "Persia"? And "Peking" and "Bombay" while we're at it.
The only reason he said that was because The Times and Guardian were featured yesterday running front page covers of the protests - on Twitter. The pictures were lapped up. And that's where this whole thing is taking place. As an Iranian posted for all to read yesterday: the revolution is not being televised. It's on line. Obama will miss a massive trick if he doesn't open his fucking muppet mouth now.
"Maybe we could go back to "Persian" and "Persia"? And "Peking" and "Bombay" while we're at it.".
I'm still outraged that they've stopped me referring to the Slave Coast!
"The only reason he said that was because The Times and Guardian were featured yesterday running front page covers of the protests - on Twitter.".
Possibly, but were no papers from other countries doing the same thing?
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