Iran--The Idea Whose Time Has Come

There is a notion in this world that nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come. Seldom has such a notion been as apparent as the recent Iranian "uprising". I have been watching the events of the past week and a half with astonishment, horror, fascination, satisfaction, and sheer amazement, and I can't seem to turn away. A bevy of emotions and reactions come to mind, all of which I will try to get through here, but through it all, I can't seem to get this one theme out of my mind. This could be Iran's time for "re-introduction" into the geo-political debate and discussion. This time as a constructive force and voice. All I can say is that the world just might be a better place for it.

So what have been the striking themes of the story at large? In no particular order, here is what has driven my thoughts through all this:

1. The (lack of) American role--Obama's speech in Cairo served as a key enabler in this uprising. Most importantly, it was what Obama did NOT say or do. Offering an open hand to the people of Iran, and making it clear that America was not the enemy of Islam, or Iran, was an important first step. It allowed Iranians seeking a better country, economy, and relationship with the world, to rally towards something better than a regime that had held America up as the enemy to rally against. Without the "Devil" to scare the population, it was clear that Iranian leadership would have to find other reasons for its own failures to lead their people to prosperity. And the people have begun to demand more from their leaders.

What that will entail will surely play out over the course of the next weeks and months.

I am glad that President Obama has NOT fallen for the cheap, reactionary voices of John McCain (Sen-AZ) or Mike Pence (Rep-IN) , calling for America to jump into the fray, and demand regime change. Such actions are reckless, and immediately give credibility to the Iranian leadership, who are desperate for just such a move. It is this type of thinking that has led to such a problem with the Iranian nation over the past 8 years, and it is exactly this type of thinking that America rejected last November.

2. The attempts to block out the Media--We can see how the Internet has truly changed everything. 20 years ago, the Chinese uprising was quashed in Tiannemen Square, as media was blacked out, and no one could see what was happening. Today, Iran cannot control Twitter, Facebook, or other news avenues, despite cutting off CNN, ABC, BBC, CBS, etc. The eyes of the world continue to be upon Iran, despite the Ayotollah's great wish that everyone would just stop paying attention. Unfortunately, there is no way to shut it all down, and to try to attempt it would derail an economy dependent on communications (railways, hospitals, etc). Such a move could be equally devastating to Khameni as it is to his adversaries.

It's been a truly incredible experiment in modern day technology vs. old time political dictatorship. Currently, technology is winning.

3. The diverse points of view of the Iranian people--I have learned so much about the diversity of the Iranian people in the past week. The varying degrees of religious sects, education levels, and sophistication of the population at large. It is truly a nation, not of backwards people, but of modernity, albeit very theocratic, and one that wants better relationships with the world.

4. The nationalistic pride of the Iranians--This is still a nation of mighty Persian descent, of great learning, and of past dynasties. This is NOT Iraq, which was a nation carved out across three separate and distinct religious sects, who did not get along, and never had the kind of national pride that is clearly evident in all Iranians who have been speaking of their homeland recently.

5. Repression can never last forever--As I am watching the news on this, it shows me that no country has ever been able to keep it's people repressed forever. Eventually knowledge comes to the people, and they demand a better governing body. It happened in Eastern Europe in the late 1980's, and Russia in the early 1990's. Even if Iran's new regime looks much like its old one, it will no longer be one where the people don't have a say. And that's a change we can all believe in.

Attempts to keep the people down have met their match, in a youtube video showing the murder of Neda Agha-Soltan. If the current regime isn't careful, the rallying cries of "Neda" will make the Alamo seem like a cute little forgettable one-liner in comparison.

I will continue to watch the events unfold in Iran, and I urge all of you to do the same. Any sharing of knowledge on this topic here would be appreciated.