Allan´s Weblog

Thanks for that link Allan.

Thank you, Allan ... It is interesting to note the invective coming from the forces of reaction.

Hope all these protest demonstrations, around the world will help.

I echo Nic's hopes.

You know I hate to say this because it may very well be taken to mean more than it does, but watching this stuff over the past few days has stirred up a few additional thoughts in my head.

You know we here in the US went through two very close elections in 2000 and again in 2004. And in each the losing side brought up issues of voter fraud. Well I don't remember any outside states (Germany, for example) coming out then and decrying our "repressive government" or whatever.

The Iranian goverment crackdown was of course terrible. But in fact it sort of reminds me of the reaction of our own police forces during the World Trade Association protests in Seattle a few years ago.

You see, we have our our problems here. So I wonder how much of this in the West is really due to the fact that the guy we wanted to see win didn't win. So we're like some spoiled child yelling foul.

Let me ask a question. Let's say Azerbinazad would have lost the election. And let's say that he lost be a close margin. And let's say he claimed voter fraud. Do you think that the West would have been taking his side, decrying the election? Of course not.

I hope Iraq moves to a more moderate government. And as I mentioned I think this is a start. But we can't expect things to happen simply because we want them to happen, or that they would happen when we would like them to happen.

Let he who is without sin throw the first stone.

I agree about the press coverage. But Saudi doesn't exactly have great freedom of the press either. And yet we support them. Because they've got a lot of oil that we are buying from them.

China closed down most of it's press and put a damper on the foreign press during the Olympics. There was some criticism. But the games still continued. And I'm happy that they did, but in terms of human rights or freedom of the press the US says virtually nothing against China. Because we owe them so much financial debt.

In any case, I will gladly concede your point.

Yes. And it really would I think be to Iran's benefit to open things up and -- hey, imagine this -- publish some actual election numbers.

the truth eventually makes itself known... sometimes from dust and ashes...

Nicely put.

Well, I have just heard from Amir, and he is all right ... which is a great relief. His revolutionary spirit seems unquenched as well, which is encouraging.

glad your friend is alright Wandersmann!

I keep thinking of Neda Agha Soltan . The girl that was shot

Yes ... she is the world's sister, now, and the world weeps for her.

terribly young and tragic

Very sad.

"I agree. There are certain double standards involved here."

Where the west is concerned, particularly Britain and the USA, there have always been double standards. It suits "diplomacy" to play the "oil-card". Saudi Arabia is one of the two remaining feudal societies where the ruler has absolute authority and none can question or change what happens.

..and what about Burma? Let's all have a lot of reaction about that terrible regime. Iran is bad enough, but at least we can see and report, to some extent, on what is happening there and there is a slim chance they will eventually listen to the outside world, at some stage.
But Burma is closed and our Western press is content merely to speculate and report but never to shake things up with regular articles. Same goes for our public. It's a very sad state of affairs.

..but not enough and not sustained... and now "double standards" turns its eyes to other more 'profitable' areas.