Why just outrage about Iran?

I haven’t been that enthusiastic about supporting the protesters in Iran simply because it isn’t exactly a choice between good and evil much less a true representation of democracy. But it is their country so whatever rocks their boat. However, I’ve been largely skeptical of the sudden interest among neocons in the U.S. to support the protesters and now even the Democrats follow meekly given this stupid resolution that passes in Congress today (strangely Ron Paul was the only sane voice in the vote). But how does that part of the world really view this feigned outrage? Just one reaction:

I don’t know whether the elections in Iran was stolen or not, and I would not be surprised if such a regime did that. But why do Western media express outrage over a stolen election in Iran but they don’t even feign outrage over lack of elections in Saudi Arabia? [via The Angry Arab News Service.]

I couldn’t have said it better. So American media, just do your job and cover the events and keep your opinions to yourself; for a change. Moussavi is no harbinger of democracy and is an old player in the Iranian system of governance dominated by theocracy. In his heyday, he was in fact more fundamentalist than your current hate-favorite, Ahmadinajad. So consider me as a silent spectator and don’t ask me to paint my Twitter avatar green.

John Cole is also not too enthusiastic about coloring everything green:

If someone can give me one legitimate piece of evidence that wearing green boxers is going to help bring democracy to Iran, so help me I’ll wear plaid from head to toe and shoot for world peace.

Jeff Goldberg at The Atlantic says:

The overarching goal is to see the birth of a democratic Iran, not to make ourselves feel good, or get in the way

But of course, feel free swathe yourself in green; I’m just telling you why I’m not.

“Why just outrage about Iran?” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=2962] was published Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 2:09 pm by Patrix, filed under 9rules, Current Affairs, DesiPundit, and tagged as democracy, Governance, Iran, theocracy. Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

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Tana-Lee
Aloha…
I painted my Twitter avatar green not because I necessarily support Mousavi (although I pray that he has become a reformer, as some report, and would be an improvement over Ahmadinejad) , but because I support the youth’s cry for democracy and freedom.
Tana-Lee

http://www.ipatrix.com Patrix
Good for you. As far as the non-Iranians are concerned, Moussavi is no reformer and in fact, more of the same. He supported the taking of hostages in 1979 and funding of Hezbollah. See this. But if Iranians voted for him, they should have him but it is their internal matter; the world better stay out of it unless humanitarian aid is need in case of a military crackdown. The Americans would have (rightly) asked Iran to shut up if they had commented on or supported any side during the disputed election of 2000.

http://calamur.org/gargi harini calamur
hi
as the earlier commentator said, more to support the people of Iran – and their right to be free – than Moussavi.
i was in college when Moussavi was at the fore front of calling for Salman Rushdie’s head on a platter – garnished with cherries :(

http://www.ipatrix.com Patrix
Well, I would say let Iranians sort out the matter on their own. After all, they still are a theocracy and not a democracy in its truest sense. As you point out, Moussavi is not exactly ‘dhoodh ka dhula’ so we have nothing to gain by his ascension.

http://calamur.org/gargi harini calamur
completely . but there is that idealist in me which still believes that children are the future – and believes in lost causes, believes that systems will change and justice will be done …. :) lost causes, i said- didn’t I :)
it is also possibly because we have forgotten – thank fully – what it is to fight for our rights. and we have forgotten to a level where we don’t vote, where we don’t get involved.
it feels good to see people care enough about the future & their country to die for it. to go to prison for it. we don’t even vote :( you realise that the world is not apathetic – and that people will rise up if their is continuous injustice. it reaffirms your faith in humanity – even if the people lose !!

http://www.ipatrix.com Patrix
Nearly 3 out of 5 people in Iran are below the age of 20. These protests are good in a way that no longer can the Iranian clergy blame America for their problems. The Iranian people have now been shown that their own regime is despotic and will kill their own Muslim brothers to hold on to power. This is in fact good for the rest of the world.
You’re right about India. I don’t see such protests happening in India but then again, would an election be stolen this blatantly in India? I think not. We at least have a core democratic governance system in place that puts certain self-correcting mechanisms to prevent election fraud.

http:/mambalamstand.blogspot.com Mambalam Mani
I was thinking of the same too. American media’s coverage and the purported outrage are sickening. As if Iran is the only failed state in the World. Maybe, they believe Pakistan is the cradle of Democracy

http://www.ipatrix.com Patrix
Other failed states either don’t have oil or are U.S. ‘allies’ so I guess it’s ok :)

http://sunson.wordpress.com Arunk
Democracy itself – is it a black and white issue? Should we dismiss any steps Iran takes as futile since it is not a “true democracy” – if so, aren’t we holding idealistic positions? Is US a “true” democracy? India? Is it that either you have a true democracy, or it is all a sham? Or are we all on different points in a spectrum with ideal/true democracy at one-end, and “complete repressive regime” on the other end. If so, isn’t Iran in some small way inching in the right direction and that is to be supported? Aren’t millions of common people asking for Moussavi? Don’t they feel empowered in their own way and are voicing that? Isn’t that itself indication of a democratic process?
Or should we be idealistic and say “yeah sure. But its all a farce anyway. Talk to me when you have true democracy”. I am sorry, I find the dismissal of the Iranian political system as being too convenient.
Arun

http://www.ipatrix.com Patrix
I’m not so much commenting on Iran’s form of democracy as much as I am on the role of outsiders to influence events within.

http://sunson.wordpress.com Arunk
True. I was just commenting on a couple of statements like the very first one as to why you couldn’t enthusiastically support it, and also why you are content to be a silent spectator. Don’t get me wrong – I am not finding fault for you for not doing so. Fair or unfair, I just found those statements to resonate with a not uncommon theme I find in the west even amongst who support the recent events: A qualification to the effect “even though Iran’s democracy is a sham … we should support …” i.e. an almost total dismissal of the system, or that it has really no validity in the end. Hence my comment. Sorry if I extrapolated too much :)
Arun

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Why just outrage about Iran?

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