And On The Plus Side...
Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is facing criticism from .. where did you say? Within Iran? Really! Dare we say about time? About time that Iranians sick of the illogically hateful rantings of their president begin demanding change. No, it's not a mass movement of the people? You've got me: who then? Ah, a parliamentary committee's report warning of the potential success in isolation and making the country more vulnerable to economic pressures.Right. That'll do it every time. That's a highly successful gambit it is; threatening the economic well-being of any entity, individual or country as the case may be. No one likes to have nightmares of economic desolation staring them hard in the face. Comprehensive sanctions, a frightening concept, and most often a successful one. Yes, it's a high-flying form of genteel blackmail, but it's an excellent tool for dissuading someone who has a loaded musket pointed at your soft body parts.
I see: the report estimates sanctions could cost the Iranian economy between US$1.5-billion and US$3-billion a year in lost revenues. Big deal. They can handle it. Just ask Mr. Ahmadinejad. Oops, same report warns the ruling ayatollahs they may have to put their Islamic Revolution on hand because of economic destabilization resulting in impaired spending priorities. Now that really sucks.
"Iran would be forced to change its national priorities and to use most of its resources to prevent any major social unrest, which could lead to a deterioration in the living conditions of a major part of the population" goes the report. I guess that could be translated as a whole lot of ordinary Iranians becoming dreadfully irate over losing future prospects for personal well-being, and the state would then be forced to crack down on civil liberties even harder, and fill up those vile prisons even more and become a true police state, a broke one at that.
Little wonder they're feeling a little queasy. But not their leader, he continues to sneer at UN threats of sanctions. European banks, it would appear have begun severing ties with Iran - ouch! Inflation is beginning to spin out of control with the price of food and fruit jumping a whopping 25% since UN sanctions were announced. Oh, the pain of it!
All of a sudden Iran's reformers and elite conservatives are lashing out, pointing out the unhelpfulness of Ahmadinejad's anti-Western taunts. Supreme Spiritual Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni's newspaper has published a public admonishment to the president: "Your statements on the nuclear issue, which are so aggressive and include inapropriate words indicate that you have taken an obstinate position on the nuclear conflict." Golly gee.
A petition is being circulated in Iran's parliament calling for Mr. Ahmadinejad to appear before the legislature to defend his nuclear 'diplomacy' and enconomic policies. Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri has chided Mr. Ahmadinejad: "One has to deal with the enemy with wisdom, not provoke it". Indeed, yes.
Hey ho, Ahmadinejad has got to go!
Damn. Not a word about vile invective threatening a nearby country.
Labels: Heroes and Villains
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, January 28, 2007
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