Saturday, April 15, 2006
You've got to be kidding me
The article that raised my ire the most today comes from the New York Times. The title is: "U.S. Program is Directed at Altering Iran's Politics".
As the Bush administration confronts the Tehran government over its suspected nuclear weapons program and accusations that it supports terrorism, a newly created office of Iranian affairs in the State Department is poring over applications for a rapidly expanding program to change the political process inside Iran.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but wasn't Iran's last election an example of democracy at work? Wasn't their (apparently crazy) president fairly elected? If that is the case, what exactly are we trying to change? Isn't 'democracy' how we want the entire world to function? I guess perhaps a caveat needs to be added that those elected have to have our approval...
The project, which will spend $7 million in the current fiscal year, would become many times larger next year if Congress approves a broad request for $85 million that the Bush administration has requested for scholarships, exchange programs, radio and television broadcasts and other activities aimed at shaking up Iran's political system.
The effort, overseen by Elizabeth Cheney, a deputy assistant secretary of state who is a daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, has been denounced by Iran's leaders as meddling in their internal affairs.
Hm. That's a lot of money to create instability (another foe of ours. The world must be stable!) in another country. Maybe we should take that money and, I don't know, give it to the schools here in the US?
Imagine. The audacity of Iran's leaders to accuse us of meddling. Don't they know that our govt knows what is best for everyone? Silly little third-worlders (if they are or not, does it matter? How is that ancient country depicted?)!
Just wait. We haven't gotten to my favorite part yet.
Administration officials said a few top American officials had been traveling the country, particularly to Los Angeles, to meet with Iranian exile organizations, many of them supporters of the monarchy of Shah Reza Pahlavi, who was overthrown in 1979. Some of the Los Angeles groups operate satellite radio and television stations that beam programs into Iran.
But State Department officials said they were not likely to enlist groups associated with the monarchy because, in their view, they do not seem to have much support in Iran.
This is where my ragin disbelief comes into play. Imagine-supporters of the Shah do not seem to have much support in Iran. Maybe that's because people there HATE the Shah as evidenced by their undertaking the effort to kick him out of power! Questionable, isn't it, how TOP American officials, who should know this, could find any logical reason to meet with groups loyal to the Shah. I can only imagine that these officials have probably also forgotten the role of the US in installing the Shah in power in the first place? Is our govt still thickheaded enough to believe that they "help into power" (an act contrary to the democracy espoused continually) a person that will be good for that country? How can that be done, when our officials (i.e.-Dubya) don't know a damn thing about the country? You can't know the country unless you know the people, right? In my mind, knowing the proportionally small wealthy elite does not constitute an accurate knowledge of the mindset of the people. Hence, people are put into power who don't reflect the wants of the people and things go to hell. Forcing the US to 'help out' again. How many times must me play this (unwanted) role and muck up other countries? Why the shit can't our history be remembered, at least by those in power? Do we have to keep repeating all the mistakes made in the past?
I'm going to go read my book. Screw this infuriating news crap
