http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,1710721,00.html

First, let’s look at Condoleezza Rice’s stated aims:

- “[Funding will be used to] help pay for Iranians to study in America and support pro-democracy groups inside the country.” Passing momentarily over the direct method of pumping their US TV programs into the country, lets look at these first aims; they sound like good ideas at first I think you’ll agree: to help expose people to different cultures (by encouraging travel across borders) and ideas. They may not accept them wholesale, or may only be imperceptibly affected by them, but the exchange of ideas enriches debate. No one, either, can deny the benefits of supporting pro-democracy groups. HOWEVER here we run into trouble, it’s US money controlled by US agencies – there will be conditions of support tied to these funds, and the cycle of corporate and US enslavement, already in effect in Iraq, would begin in Iran. Funding and supporting democratic groups in Iran is an admirable aim, but done on a governmental level it entails a degree of superior/servant power relationships, and tarnishes the aims of those groups, who will have to consider their benefactors unless aid is given voluntarily by those who share the same ideals (as opposed to those with their own ulterior motives).

-"The United States will actively confront the aggressive policies of the Iranian regime. At the same time, we will work to support the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy in their country." [A direct Condi quote] Well, there is no doubt the Iranian regime is acting aggressively, but so is America, and the US is the one with the biggest and best nukes. They have no moral authority to condemn ANYONE for aggressive behaviours. That aside, supporting “the aspirations of the Iranian people” is one of the aims we ourselves should champion (more on that later), but will the US do this? The answer is a resounding ‘No’. They claimed to be doing this in Iraq, need we yet again mention the many thousands of Iraqi casualties and the rapid decay in democratic and social institutions, in addition to the corporate takeover of essential services such as water and electricity. They cannot even “support the aspirations” of their own people.

-“The US is to increase funds to Iranian non-governmental bodies that promote democracy, human rights and trade unionism.” This is self-evident bullshit. The US has a history of repressing trade unionism just as brutally as Iran. In the 30s their government’s clashes with trade unions nearly resulted in civil war, and would have if press outlets hadn’t ensured the American people’s opposition to general strikes, thus reducing the support base for strikers and unionists. As for human rights, how does Guantanamo strike you? And the continuing prisoner abuse?

There’s more, but you get the picture.


On our side, my personal belief is that we should try and follow these simple points, and maintain our moral balance:

1) To speak out and, wherever possible, to obstruct war and military intervention.
2) To show our solidarity with the Iranian people, and in our own way, to help the pro-democratic groups in Iran, so that they are not tarnished by reliance on US aid and can function with legitimacy.
3) In addition, to speak out against the abuses of the Iranian government, who still carry out execution by hanging, repress trade unions and political dissent, and engage in the same kind of domestic terror that the US and UK governments do.
4) At home, to follow the path to democracy, and decry our own governments, to hold them accountable, and to make sure everyone knows they are just as bad as the regimes they criticize.

If we are to legitimately claim to be ethical, moral and democratic, we must constantly criticize all despots, no matter their political or ideological orientation or country. So long as tyranny continues, we cannot rest. The use of force by one tyrant against another does nothing to alleviate the tyranny, it merely consolidates it.

Those that rally round Iran seem to forget it’s human rights abuses, its lack of proper democracy (their façade is remarkably similar to our own – no real choice and candidates picked by the elite) and the fact that it’s president is the Islamic version of George Bush. We ought to realize there is a difference between Iran and the Iranian people. One we should condemn as strongly as we do the US, the other we should support as our brothers and sisters of mankind.