Going Green for Iran
Following Sullivan and Instapundit, I've changed Internal Monologue's background color to a shade of green as a show of support to the Iranian protesters. This is until I figure out something more constructive to do.
And yes, I am aware that the US has a horrible history of meddling for the worse in other countries' affairs, particularly in Iran in the 50's with the Shah. And I'm aware that the Iranian opposition is not a bunch of sinless Persian Unitarian Universalists ready to make nice with every single US policy aim. They have their own set of vested interests. They'll be messy and difficult and maybe even awful and catastrophic. But they would be more legitimate than the current rulers, who have exposed themselves as contemptuous thugs. There's a lot of cynicism out there in the blogosphere about what's going on in Iran. But it seems to me that if that hardline theocracy were to fall, it would have to be because of a movement like the one happening there now. And I'll take cronyist insider plutocrats over fanatical religious puritans any day of the week.
Yes, in a lot of ways what's going on in Iran is none of my business. But sometimes we choose to make things our business, even if only in a small symbolic way.
And yes, I am aware that the US has a horrible history of meddling for the worse in other countries' affairs, particularly in Iran in the 50's with the Shah. And I'm aware that the Iranian opposition is not a bunch of sinless Persian Unitarian Universalists ready to make nice with every single US policy aim. They have their own set of vested interests. They'll be messy and difficult and maybe even awful and catastrophic. But they would be more legitimate than the current rulers, who have exposed themselves as contemptuous thugs. There's a lot of cynicism out there in the blogosphere about what's going on in Iran. But it seems to me that if that hardline theocracy were to fall, it would have to be because of a movement like the one happening there now. And I'll take cronyist insider plutocrats over fanatical religious puritans any day of the week.
Yes, in a lot of ways what's going on in Iran is none of my business. But sometimes we choose to make things our business, even if only in a small symbolic way.
Comments
Isn't that generally who we get to choose between in U.S. elections anyway?
"Change your Twitter settings to GMT +03:30 Tehran as yr timezone & change home city to Tehran to confuse Iranian censors."