But I understand some things. The people of Iran are people like us, and they’re mad as hell about how things are going right now. Whatever is happening there is both none of our business, and is of great interest, because in these last few days, all of the propaganda from the Bush years has been rendered inoperative. I don’t think it even matters what those people in the streets think about the future of Iranian-American relations. It doesn’t look to me like they’re thinking about that at all. What matters is that they feel that they have been wronged, and I doubt very seriously that whatever we thought we were going to be dealing was even in the ball park.
Until it becomes clear, all we can do is watch in awe as this incredible story unfolds – and it is an incredible story. From today:
The past week has transformed my understanding and impression of Iran, particularly its people. Their theocracratic government has seemed so foreign, and their suppression of freedom so unthinkable and their support for terrorists tactics so “on the wrong side” that I only half-heartedly rejected bush’s putting them in the “axis of evil.”
Now I know that their revolution in 1979 that overthrew the Shah was a bid for freedom; and that the people were betrayed by the leaders they put in power, so that the republic they wanted to establish became a virtual dictatorship — with its own people as the victims.
So what they are demanding now is to revive the revolution that was to lead to freedom and democracy. They got theocracy and autocracy instead.
Now it seems that Khamenei is even trying to make it a dynasty, hoping to install his son as his successor.
The other impression that has come from the past week is a great admiration for the Iranian people. Watching their courageous demonstrations, including old women in chadors, watching them on videos, reading their poems and their farewell notes in case they are killed in the protests — they have come alive as real people.