It is a warm summer evening in London and I am sitting outside, talking politics with friends while snaking on delicious Iranian salted pistachios and literally mouth-watering lavashak (Iranian dried fruit roll ups).
Iran is on the brink and our discussions about whose fault it is and what must be done, get as hot as the home-delivered Sosis Bandari (specialty sausages from south of Iran) sandwiches we munch into.
With all the high emotions of a passionate Iranian and in a voice packed with disappointment and disgust, my friend says: “this is what we get for burning the American flag and chanting death to America”.
His equally irate wife adds: “…and-what are we doing, spending money in Syria when our own people are struggling with basic necessities of life”.
They point out that the President Rouhani- who was to bring hope to the Iranians- is now nothing but a sitting lame duck.
Only days later, the Guardian, covering the sporadic protests about high-inflation and water shortages in Iran, reports on the same sentiments being expressed in the streets of Tehran.
Then bang! Mr Trump’s all-capital tweet on Iran pops up on his tweeter, for all his 53.2 million followers and the rest of the world to see and read.
Can you see what is happening? It’s Cambridge Analytica scenario all over again.
President Trump, a man of no convictions what so ever, has access to our minds and inner thoughts.
The fact is that we regularly leave digital footprints of our ideas and beliefs on the Internet, which are carefully recorded and regularly harvested for commercial and political purposes.
This is how President Trump gets away with his crazy tweets- he knows there are enough people out there who think the same thing and therefore would support what is being said.
He made his Iran tweet knowing that he would be giving credence to an existing idea that Iran had largely itself to blame for its current predicament.
His aim was to strengthen the belief among many Iranians that their lives would be so much better if only their leaders knew their place in the world and talked sweetly to the US- an idea spread by many foreign-funded media outlets with access to audiences inside and outside of Iran.
But is it true?
Let’s look at what happened in the past when Iran supported the American invasion of Afghanistan, proposed normalizing its relationship with the US, and even offered to rein back its support for Hezbollah and Hamas.
The year was 2003 and the then President of the US, George Bush, called Iran part of the “axis of evil”. Hardly a fair way of rewarding Iran for good behavior, is it?
So no, it is not the American flag burning that has got us here. It is the deliberate American policies, designed to appease Israel and weaken Iran, that are largely responsible for the current misery of the Iranians.
But most reports on Iran lack context, limiting the opportunity for people to form informed opinions. The situation is likely to get worse as newspapers come under tighter financial squeeze.
Recently, I almost choked on my Iranian tea with laughter when I read The Independent’s claim that their newly planned websites in Farsi, Turkish, Arabic and Urdu, owned and operated by the Saudis, would bring “ free-thinking” and “independent news” to the Middle East.
But this is no laughing matter. Biased media outlets are a true threat to democracy.
President Trump thrives on uninformed opinions and the way they are often promoted in the mainstream media in the form of plain reporting without any analysis.
The war mongering US and Israel want us to believe the Iranian rulers are apocalyptic madmen bent on annihilation of Israel and the rest of the world.
This is simply not true.
Iran has many reasons for being distrustful of the West- the orchestrated 1953 coup to topple the only democratically elected Prime Minister, Mossadegh, and the 1993 shooting down of a civil airliner, killing 290 people, are some of those reasons- but the most painful and lingering memory has to be the support the US gave to the dictator-turned-invader, Saddam Hussein, during a bloody 8-year war with Iran.
The Iranians lost as many people in that war as the UK did during the Second World War.
The negotiated solution, in the form of the Iran Deal, was the best way of improving relations between Iran and the West.
Breaking the Iran Deal is bringing the Iranian economy to its knees, causing misery for ordinary Iranians and strengthening the hardliners inside Iran.
Before President Trump fires another thoughtless tweet about Iran, and before some Iranians turn their backs on Rouhani, let’s remember what happened when Bush branded Khatami as “evil” and failed to support the moderates: the world got Ahmadinejad. Need I say more?
The way to resist Trump and his toxic style of politics is by demanding better quality news and by supporting adequate funding for the media so they can get on with their main job of properly informing people on important issues rather than chasing useless click baits.
You are quite correct Donna. Iran has done absolutely nothing to be described by the U.S Empire as the main instigator of terrorism in the world.And this is rich as the U.S. is the the main instigator. ISIS is a U.S. creation, along with its European vassal states the U.K. and France, and the Saudis and the Sunni Arab League .Also ably supported by Zionist Israel.The U.S, the UK and France supplied the weapons , and the Sunni Arabs supplied the ideology and finance.What a disgusting vile lot of Terrorist Nations! To the best of my knowledge Iran has not attacked another country for two hundred years.Which countries attacked Serbia,Afghanistan,Iraq, Libya, Syria,Lebanon, and Yemen? Who is threatening to invade Venezuela and Iran? Is there no end to the continuous war emanating in particular from the Nazi U.S Empire ? 50% of the GDP of the U.S. is involved in the creation of weapons of war.There has not been a country more set up as a permanent war economy since Nazi Germany.And the whole of the European Nations are completely blind to what is happening. Instead they construct a completely false narrative and brainwash the compliant U.S. vassals via the MSM in a way reminiscent of the brainwashing of the occupants of the Soviet Union.I might find this slightly amusing in a bizzare sort of way, except NZ is among the grovelling brainwashed!!!
Nah. I’m commercial media now.
Totally agree HP, unfortunately what was passed off on us as a left wing government? seems even more interested in kowtowing to the american war machine than the last lot of grovelers.
I’m definitely among those in the west who will regularly point out the contrast which you mention here. While the Saudis and other ‘friends’ of the west have no history of secularism or philosophical enquiry outside of the confines of the Quaran (or if they do, it has been expunged on the orders of their Salafi ‘scholars’), Iran has a vital and surviving history of secular thought and philosophy, appreciation of creative literary and poetic tradition, and of course the mystical tradition which gives their national conversations a nuanced and thoughtful character.
How much more a pity, then, that their regime plays into the hands of the western deep state by letting things like this happen:
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/lifestyle/2018/07/iranian-women-dance-in-streets-in-defiance-of-ban.html
There may be a few of us out there who can patiently explain that this is all a big domino run of consequences stemming from the unethical overthrow of Mossadegh by the US-UK deep state, but most people have never even heard of him, and will continue to see these things as definitive. I don’t get why the regime doesn’t learn to let a few more things go.
I feel like the Iranians are very patriotic (it’s one of the things I like about them – they’re not natural globalists), and given more freedom to do sensible things like letting women dance or not wear their heads covered won’t result in regime change. They seem generally woke enough that if you let them vote, they’re not going to choose an American puppet government just for the sake of it. The regime ought to stake a little risk on more social freedom. It can only bring them goodwill.
Whilst the USA has indeed blundered badly in it’s dealing with Iran since WW2 (like the have with most countries), we cannot ignore that Iran is the major national exporter of terrorism in the world.
Facts:
Arming and training Hezbollah which both attacks Israel and undermines democracy in Lebanon
Assassination of the democratically elected prime minster of Lebanon Rafic Hariri
The arming and training of the Houthi insurgency in Yemen, once again against a democratically elected government.
The funding, arming and training of Hamas up until 2009 when sanctions made it too difficult. A terrorist organisation whose constitution includes destroying Israel and killing all Jews and which regularly tortures and murders Palestinian opposition within Gaza.
So whilst I feel sorry for the poor people of Iran who have to suffer under this thug regime, it needs to be quarantined from the rest of the world because it’s an infectious disease.
Maybe stomping on those American flags wasn’t, in the long term, in your best interests.
That’s all a bit trite, and lacking in context to be a credible diatribe Andy… I am a bit suspicious that you’ve allowed yourself to be a pawn of Uncle Wuperts propaganda machine….
“Arming and training Hezbollah which both attacks Israel and undermines democracy in Lebanon”.. And why wouldn’t the Lebanese regard Israel as an invading enemy? Do you know when democracy was established in the middle east as a credible system of administration? Easy answer.. It hasn’t been… Democracy, or the appearance of it, which is what our western governments are increasingly projecting over a sheen of fascist totalitarianism has never been the dominant political structure in any Arabian country, Lebanon among them…
It’s not your sincerity I doubt, just your clarity of comprehension… Even Israel under the heel of jewish domination is run more as a theocracy than democratic…
Bullshit. Andrew, stop rewriting history. The yanks are the author of this mess by initiating a coup d’tat against democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in 1953. They then installed a tyrannical regime headed by puppet Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. So you can cut your crap. It just shows your ignorance and proWestern chauvinism.
Mixing a few zionist lies into your bullshit post there Andrew …. Hezbollah defends Lebanon from the zionist land thieves.
Hamas is the elected government of the ethnically cleansed Palestinians who were forced and herded into the gaza ghetto
Gaza was stolen of eygpt …. by the zionist land thieves ….
The biggest warmongers and threats to peace in the middle east are the u.s.a , israel , and saudi arabia….. and maybe Turkey
Only fools and liars say otherwise ……………
Amen pete
Fuhrer Trump is hellbent on war. With anyone. He’s in trouble domestically and ee all know what US presidents do when they have domestic troubles, they declare war. He has a base of bigots who are suffuciently islamophoblic to be suckered in with a war with Iran. I just hope like hell our country isnt sucked in to another American imperialist adventure in the middle east. Maybe the onky way to deter US imperialist agression is for Putin to loan the Iranians a dozen nuclear bombs. Thatll put the frighteners up Trump.
“Fuhrer Trump is hellbent on war. With anyone.”
He’s almost made it to the midterms without starting a new one or baiting others into doing it for him. Pretty good record for a Republican, and better than quite a few Democrats lately to boot. He seems to be trying to get out of Syria, though I’m naturally suspicious of Bolton because he is a psycho warmonger.
None of Trumps words and actions will make sense unless you are following and deciphering the Q Anon postings (drops) on 8 Chan , Qanon.pub or they can also be found on reddit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/TheCalmBeforeTheStorm/comments/7qhq2c/all_qanon_posts_in_chronological_order_text_based/
You know, what DISTURBS me MOST is how the MSM are so fixated and obsessed with Trump tweets, like they hang out for them, to use as news ‘fodder’, to raise their own ‘reporting importance’, which should actually disqualify these idiots, calling themselves ‘reporters’ and ‘journalists’.
Reporting on a grown child like character with mental health issues sending his tweets around is worrisome.
As for Trump, he belongs into an institution, right now, he must be taken out of his job, for good, he is the greatest threat to world peace since Adolf Hitler, in my humble view.
Let’s be clear, Trump has just threatened to commit genocide against Iran.
What does this mean?
“….the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered”?
The likes of Dresden? The likes of Warsaw? The likes of Hiroshima?
These are historical examples “few throughout history history have suffered” that Donald Trump is threatening the Iranian people with.
How long will the world have to put up with this savage?
‘What does this mean?
“….the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered”?’
It means Trump’s going to have their leadership kidnapped in a SEAL team raid and bundled on a rendition flight to Diego Garcia. Once there, CIA field agents will put them in those chairs like the ones from administering the Ludovico Tecnique in A Clockwork Orange where your eyes are clamped open and you can’t look away. Then they’ll cue up the entire season of the Spinoff TV and hit ‘repeat’.
That’s what he means by “….the likes of which few throughout history have ever suffered”?
Interesting comment, there.
Shhhhhhhhhhh. Leave them alone.
It’s a thing I do, you’ll get used to it
Totally agree with your sentiments Jenny but do you seriously think things would be vastly different if ” We came, we saw, he died, “cackle cackle” hillary was in command. The us war industry still has to be fed.
The mad man in the White House wants WAR, he wants hatred to be stirred up between Sunnis and Shiites and Wahhabites, and so forth, he is the worst dictator type since Hitler, that is Trump, he must be removed from office the sooner than later, to save the people on the world:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjI5zHIPrz0
I have been in contact with Hamas for years, they have once been extreme but moderated to become decent negotiable partners, but US and Israel reject all efforts, they seem to want war, so what do we do?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjJ8EDMI6Bk
Trump really has no scruples and wants war, better believe it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLoUFEs-vK8
True protest, people do please understand, Philistine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOWGnk9lTPs
No wonder some prescribe to IS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB10j1FXmxo
Speaking of IIO (Inform and Influence Operations)(of which Trump ‘collusion/anti-Russia and ramping up Anti-Iran are but two)..More on the unfolding BROWDER Maginsky act FRAUD
For attention, Guyon Espiner, morning report (File#next time you talk to Bill)
https://www.sott.net/article/391932-The-most-dangerous-man-in-the-world-How-Bill-Browders-greed-helped-spark-a-new-Cold-War
The American establishment along with its allies and thanks to Hillary Clinton removed this fanatical group off their terrorist list called the M.E.K. (Mojahedin-e Khalq) Rajavi is their leader and he is Iranian whom where Saddam Hussein hitmen during his bloody rain over the Iraqi population. When America and its allies invaded Iraq in 2003 they immediately protected the M.E.K. and moved them from their terror compound right next door to the American embassy in Iraq they’re now been promoted as freedom fighter???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxwYaKkDH6o
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/american-society-would-collapse-if-it-werent-for-these-8-myths/
‘Myth No. 8—We have a democracy.
If you think we still have a democracy or a democratic republic, ask yourself this: When was the last time Congress did something that the people of America supported that did not align with corporate interests? … You probably can’t do it. It’s like trying to think of something that rhymes with “orange.” You feel like an answer exists but then slowly realize it doesn’t. Even the Carter Center and former President Jimmy Carter believe that America has been transformed into an oligarchy: A small, corrupt elite control the country with almost no input from the people. The rulers need the myth that we’re a democracy to give us the illusion of control……….’
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