Along with the international enthusiasm, Iranians got very excited when they heard about Obama's rational views and dialogue-based attitude towards Iran. This changed slightly after Obama won the democratic candidacy and, at the same time, changed his rhetoric. Perhaps the change of heart came to the popular senator partly because of the provocation of the conservative candidate, John McCain.
Yesterday, major reformist newspapers in Iran dedicated their front pages to Obama's landslide victory. "Change of History!", "America's New Face" and "The First Black Man in the White House" were just a few of the headlines. However, the conservative papers tried to underplay the monumental event. The hard-line Keyhan labelled Obama as "The Hawk Clad as a Dove", while English newspaper Iran Daily ingeniously called it a "Time for US Policy Change".
In the first ever official message of kindness from the Islamic Republic to an American leader, President Ahmadinejad congratulated Barack Obama on his win and offered him some advice on how to run the United States. Also, the Iranian government's spokesman asked Obama to keep his international trust building pledge, while many officials have expressed their personal views on Obama's victory; particularly in line with what they believe has been the result of the profound failure of the Bush administration.
I have been speaking to people in cafes. Although they think Obama would not bring fundamental change to the foreign policy of Washington, they are jubilant that the Bush years are over and hopeful that relations between the two countries may be to some extent different during Obama's term in the White House. But they are aware that relations can never work one-sidedly.
Unlike the official stand of the government, most Iranians are pretty much pro-American. Consider California; so many people from Iran live in LA that some people humorously name it Tehrangeles. And let me remind you that in the midst of Iraq occupation, when Arab states had banished American products, Iranians drank Coke and Pepsi like fish and in the meantime exported ZamZam (an Iranian brand of soft drinks) to Arab countries.
A very familiar line is: "the people of the United States and Iran are friends; if there's a problem, it is between the governments". And it was not too long ago that George Bush claimed the sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear ambitions would in no way influence the lives of the normal Iranians.
Let me leave the conclusion to you. How do you think the Irano-American relations will develop over the next few months and years to come? Let us all have your prophecies.
My comments can be found in my own latest blogpost about President Obama's new victory, which can be found here:
http://mrs-immanuel-kant.blogspot.com/2008/11/americas-spring-of-freedom.html
please read it, and leave comments for me too! thanks! :-)
Long Live President Obama, THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD!
Posted by: Anahita | Friday, 07 November 2008 at 05:02 PM
Though Iran and America Share many common strategic intrests, it is not in the Intrest of Israel and to a lesser extent Saudi Arabia for a resumption of relations between in Iran and the US, hence expect tensions to continue although maybe just at a slightly lower level.
Posted by: Alex | Friday, 07 November 2008 at 07:28 PM
You did it! You Did it!!
People, you were MAGNIFICENT! FANTASTIC! As I said before, I am Soooooooo PROUD! of you. And Sooooooo PROUD! to be one of you. My pride in all of you is OVERWHELMING! You took on the longest, toughest, most bruising campaign EPIC! in American history. Then you repeatedly stepped up to the plate to do your duty for each other, and for the greater good of the World. :-)
In spite of the extremely serious conditions confronting us, I can barely keep my feet on the ground from the euphoria I feel over how heroically you all stepped forward for each other, your country, and the greater good of the World. You are a great people.
Some of you repeatedly stood in voting lines for hours determined to cast your vote. Others seemed so determined to vote they looked like they were on a pick nick, ready to endure whatever it would take to cast their precious votes. It was a BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL! thing to see.
President Obama, and the First Lady Michelle Obama are highly intelligent people, and seem to have their values, and hearts in the right place. It's about the people, and their needs over money and material things in a time of great need. (Papulo Primo) - The People First.
President Obama has been very wise in seeking the advice, and counsel of many of our best experts. All of whom seem genuinely eager, and willing to help however they can. We are all very fortunate to have them.
And we are very fortunate to have continuously had the help, and support of the Worlds people, and their leadership in spite of the highly negative, and hostile relationship they have had to endure from the Bush Cheney administration.
Over the coming days, months, and years ahead we will have much to do. But I know that what ever the challenge is we can handle it, and count on each other. This is America again. And you have made that perfectly clear.
I am Sooooooo PROUD to know you.
God bless you all
jacksmith - WORKING CLASS :-)
Posted by: jacksmith | Saturday, 08 November 2008 at 05:35 AM
Dear Tehranologist, thank you for reading my blog and commenting on it. I just wanted to answer your sarcastic remark about Mr. Khatami not being the president for the past 3 years! don't we all know it??????!!!!!! :-(
Yes dear friend, the whole world is painfully aware of who currently is the president of Iran! but if you don't know this, let me tell you:
In the West, once you are elected president, you will forever be addressed as Mr. President (or Ms. President in the more progressive countries whose people have moved beyond sexism). That is why I addressed him as "Dear President Khatami", that's why I wrote "President Mandela", and that's why your dear current president will also be called "Mr. President" for the rest of his life wherever he goes!!!!! Now, was that wise for you people to give HIM that honor 3 years ago? well, I'm sure you'll find out the answer soon enough!
Please read this earlier blog-post of mine too, and you'll know what my hopes are for our dear "Man in a Chocolate Robe":
http://mrs-immanuel-kant.blogspot.com/2008/10/advice-to-freedom-loving-iranians.html
Allaho Akbar, Khatami Rahbar!
Posted by: Anahita | Saturday, 08 November 2008 at 01:21 PM
It is no mere coincidence that Democratic Party Republicrat, Barack Obama, had the unheard of amount of approximately 600 million dollars in his political campaign coffer compared with fellow Republican Party Republicrat, John McCain’s, approximately 100 million campaign coffer dollars. This fact alone should give some crucial insight into the despicable financial role played by corporations, bankers, the military and their outrageous, unacceptable, and massively inordinate amount of influence and control over the electoral system in this so-called democracy. Most of this money is blood money, based upon exploitation from the corporate Wall Street and military corporate elite. This fact alone gives yet another good indication as to what to expect under an Obama presidency. It is totally reprehensible and unacceptable and an utter mockery of democracy.
Voting for either candidate is an absurd vote of confidence perpetuating a system of indentured servitude, global slavery, murder, war for profit and criminality.
Not ALL people caught up in this totalitarian dictatorship of fools are deluded by mainstream media hype, disinformation and propaganda.
And before people attempt to equate my assessment of Obama's role in the future of the world with my factual conclusion that he's a puppet of The Council On Foreign Relations with the word Conspiracy let's examine Conspiracy.
In popular culture, the very term serves as an automatic dismissal, as though no one ever acts in secret. Let us bring some perspective and common sense to this issue. The United States is comprised of large organizations - corporations, bureaucracies, "interest groups" and the like - which are conspiratorial by nature. That is, they are hierarchical, their important decisions are made in secret by a few key decision-makers, and they are not above lying about their activities. Such is the nature of organizational behavior. "Conspiracy," in this key sense, is a way of life around the globe.
The American Democratic system was hijacked years ago and the One-Party system with two factions, Democrat and Republican, foists two pre-approved candidates on an ignorant population who believe that a vote once every four years is participation when in fact participation is an illusion when the two choices are pre-approved by the Powers that Be.
Obama will continue the ravages of war in the Middle East while deluded Americans support his efforts and live in fear while those fighting for freedom from western oppression, Freedom Fighters, are labeled terrorists.
Obama, McCain, it didn't matter. The goals are the same. Two sides of the same coin.
Posted by: Jeff Prager | Saturday, 08 November 2008 at 03:03 PM
My response to Jeff Prager:
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your comment, but you were wrong about us "liberal elitists" being like radical conservatives when it comes to censorship of people's opinions!!!!! Of course I post your comment and will engage you in a conversation, because I actually believe in "Freedom of Expression"!!!!
It's apparent to me from reading your words that you dismiss me and talk to me in such a condescending way because in your eyes I'm just one of those "colored Middle Easterner" who can't possibly have the mental capacity to "exercise their ability to research and investigate", and so, you give yourself the right to politely call me ignorant!!!!
But you know dear Jeff, I'm not that prejudiced! I won't do the same to you! I will just inform you that Dr. Mossadegh was NOT "executed", he was betrayed in a Coup d'Etat orchestrated by the CIA in 1953 under President Eisenhower (a Republican), the same people who killed JFK, MLK, Bobby, and many more, but today not only Teddy Kennedy and the entire Kennedy clan, but even Eisenhower's own grand-daughter come out and in one voice call for "The Fierce Urgency of Now", not because they're all the same in their "evil plans of world domination" as you would have it sound like (you're probably a Ron Paul supporter), but because they have ALL realized FINALLY that it's time for a real CHANGE in their world view!
Of course America will look out for its own interests in the world, so will every other country, but there's a big difference between the Neocon's approach to getting what's best for America, and the Liberal's pragmatic view of the 21st century global village where unilateralism will no longer work! Thanks to George W Bush and Dick Cheney who proved it over the past 5 years by going to Iraq!!!
You are wrong Sir, but I would never give myself the audacity to call you an ignorant racist the way you called me an uneducated "colored Middle Easterner"!!!!
Posted by: Anahita | Saturday, 08 November 2008 at 05:22 PM
Well said Anahita, well said indeed!
The money Bush has now, wasn't made from hard work and wise earning but the core fortune came from slave camps in Germany with the Bush family interests and that includes the camps attached to the Buna plants in Auschwitz too.
In 1945, Bush's grandfather was placed in front of Congress to face investigation for trading with the Nazi's whilst American soldiers were dying from German bullets, it was also at this time that another major lie was exposed, that of Hitler allegedly nationalising Ford Motor Co. interests in Germany when it soon became apparent that Henry Fords son was running operations in Germany again whilst American soldiers were dying and even being transported by Ford motor vehicles.
It is the descendents of such vile trash that now have so much power in the US and elsewhere, it is hoped that Obama may survive any attempted well-stoning by the power-elite because he doesn't come from their fetid closed circles but from a more honest background.
I am hoping that Obama will move America into a period of isolationism, forcing investment back into the states, its infrastructure and its people whilst winding down the massive global imperial bases and the lesser known "lily-pads" which outnumber the known bases two to one.
If Obama continues along the pro-Israel, pro-Military Industrial complex policy that Bush with others set in motion, we are likely to see a major war between America and either Russia and/or China, coupled on that America isolated, possibly starved for oil as Venezuela stops selling oil to the US and the final collapse of the nation which as has been predicted by learned analysts may also dissolve into anarchy or even states seceding from the union.
Only time can tell, there is strong scuttlebutt that Obama might make an example of Iran to show he is tough, that would be a fatal mistake for the US and he should play to his strengths and original plan, engage and dialogue, stop the threats and stop also supporting, nay financing Israel's war crimes too.
Its his call.
Posted by: Ian Watson | Sunday, 09 November 2008 at 05:09 AM
I did not call you a colored Middle Easterner and think nothing of the sort. Don't read racism into my comment, it doesn't exist.
However, I will maintain my position that Obama, Bush and McCain are three sides of the same coin and belief in anything different is delusional. Look at who was chosen for his Chief of Staff position. Rahm Emmanuel! Keep your eyes on the skies so you can see the bombs before they land.
Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Lebanon, all ripe for the taking of the spoils of war. However psychopathic and sociopathic that proposition might be. Our Democracy? What Democracy?
No, I didn't vote for Ron Paul. A Democracy which promotes two pre-determined candidates as the only possible winning choices is not a Democracy, it's a Totalitarian state with a Plutocracy by Corporatocrcay. I didn't vote. It's a waste of time. I have NEVER voted. That way I can't be blamed for the deceit and lies promoted by the American government. I just have to deal with the unfortunate circumstance of having been born here.
At my insistence my wife happily voted for Cynthia McKinney who at the very least addressed issues rather than creative politics using abortion and gay marriage to keep the populace arguing, subjects that have no place in politics at all. Perhaps the matching Federal Funds will help her in 2012. Personally my opinion is that ANY 3rd party candidate would be better, but of course in a Dictatorship of Corporate, Banking and Military elites that won't happen.
What does an Obama presidency mean? Straussian Ideology my friends. That means a continued and manufactured fear of the Muslim threat which of course is unwarranted, a continued war to find Osama bin Laden who is not only dead but had little to do with attacking the US, and a continued abrogation of rights and transfer of wealth disguised as the necessities for the maintenance of freedom.
Shadia Drury, Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary elaborates the following about Straussian ideology:
“Those who are fit to rule are those who realize there is no morality and that there is only one natural right – the right of the superior to rule over the inferior.”
It is furthermore illuminated that:
This philosophy requires an environment of “perpetual deception” in which the people are indoctrinated to a manufactured mythology, of simplistic character appropriate to their meagre powers of comprehension.
The interesting thing about this thread is that I'm on your side but Obama-mania has you temporarily deluded. It will take time but even the most deceitful lies eventually float to the top and reveal themselves.
The dilemma for me is how intelligent and intellectual people can possibly believe that a change of faces in the White House means any change in policy. I have to admit one thing, Obama is VERY good. Very good indeed. Today the world is fooled.
Thanks for not censoring me. My fear is a well founded fear based on other web sites. I found this thread by shear accident, enjoyed it, and posted my comment in the hope that it would elicit a response. If this subject were not vastly important to me I wouldn't have bothered.
Let's reduce the rhetoric. George Carlin did that well.
He said, and I am not quoting precisely but you'll understand, "The US does one thing very well, we BOMB Brown People"
Well, I'm absolutely disgusted by people in this country that buy into the sanity that killing innocent people world wide has any value. What's worse is we NEVER kill white people. Fear was used by the US administration to alter consciousness and it worked well because 99% of this country believe one version or another that Al-Qaeda is a terrorist group. Hog Wash. And by the way I'm both white and Jewish.
The fact remains that NOW, Obama has the whole flippin' world believing that a change of faces means a change in global US hegemony. Nothing could be further from the truth. Look my friend, US presidents are "here today, gone tomorrow" people. The military, bankers and corporations manage this country, not the president. He's a puppet and the people pulling his strings are quite bright.
His election even has American intellectuals supporting him. However people like Michel Chossudovsky aren't fooled and his web site is proof of that. Read at GlobalResearch.ca and even the blog at ThereAreNoSunglasses and you'll better understand my perspective.
By the way, Mossadegh, yes, removed by the CIA, and then executed. Living the remainder of your life under house arrest is an execution in my book.
Posted by: Jeff Prager | Sunday, 09 November 2008 at 01:49 PM
Remember, elections are extravaganzas, essentially run by the public relations industry with the goal of marginalizing issues and voters. They provide two predetermined and pre-approved candidates so that the system will continue to perpetuate itself for the benefit of the elite.
Posted by: Jeff Prager | Sunday, 09 November 2008 at 01:54 PM
This is so utterly important to me that I would beg you, please, please read the following editorial before responding.
http://carolynbaker.net/site/content/view/835/1/
OBAMA: A RETURN TO THE ELITE STATUS QUO, By Larry Chin
Posted by: Jeff Prager | Sunday, 09 November 2008 at 02:26 PM
Thank you for engaging me in this conversation Jeff, but of course you and I see the world from completely different angles and the point of this dialog is not for either one of us to convince the other one of his/her point of view, but to share and express those differences of opinion:
1) You said you're on my side, but I beg to differ! Just because you resent the perpetrators of the crimes that have been inflicted upon my people throughout history, doesn't make you someone who's on "my side" today, whatever that means! I'm on the side of justice, and true, you sound to be angry about past, present and future injustices, but the thing that puts us at two completely different positions today, is that you can never presume to know, to personally know how it feels to be from the collective psyche of the OPPRESSED, and you have the LUXURY of sitting in your privileged position of a truly FREE man with all the rights and freedoms that are guaranteed to you in that precious constitution, and (excuse the language) bitch about the imperfections of your democracy! Whereas although personally I'm a FREE Canadian woman as well, with all the wonderful rights and freedoms that my Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees me, but I belong to the cultural heritage of a people whose collective psyche has been stripped of those same privileges time after time over decades and centuries and millenniums! So while it's all quite convenient for you or even liberating to feel a sense of being on a higher moral ground than your other compatriots who voice none of the anger and disgust that you have for the injustices of your statesmen in the past, but believe me brother, you cannot even pretend to know how it must FEEL to be subject to those injustices! So, ... please! Spare us the sympathy and the warnings of "Keep your eyes on the skies so you can see the bombs before they land", because we have been bombed, we have been robbed, we have been enslaved, and we can recognize the signs of more of it to come even without looking up into the skies!
2) Given what I said in (1), if I and my fellow "Middle Easterners" DARE to HOPE, please don't give yourself the right to call us delusional dreamers who can't see what's coming to them!!! For a people who have had no voice for so long, for a part of the world that has been oppressed and plundered and abused for so long, even the slightest sign of HOPE and the narrowest ray of sunshine means the world! Please share your negativity and cynical disgust for the status quo of American Imperialism with those who can afford to get together in their ivory towers and sip their champaign and smoke their cigars and feel self-righteous by pretending to sympathize with the plight of the poor! What they need is not your pity or even sympathy, they need to "cling on" to that ray of hope, so just don't robbed them of that!!!!
3) About those links and others like it, as my friend Holly responded to you on my weblog, you need to first check out who is behind a website before you start taking their versions of "facts" as the TRUTH!
Thank you again for this stimulating conversation, I hope I didn't offend you with my response?
Posted by: Anahita | Monday, 10 November 2008 at 03:00 AM
Ok, well, I agree with everything you said in this last post. How's that for capitulation to truth? Truth is difficult to argue with.
As you know in terms of the subject at hand I can only provide my opinion. It's worth no more or less than any other unless of course it proves to be true in which case it then has inherent value.
Anyway, hanging on to a glimmer of hope would be my personal preference too, that is if there were hope to hang on to. And if there were I would be hanging on.
By the way, don't paint my picture quite so rosy. It's one thing to have rights and still another to be told you have rights and be unable to exercise them. Do you think a politician in the US responds by email or letter to a constituent with anything other than a form letter even when the most eloquently and carefully worded questions are posed?
So again, look carefully at the past and the record of people like Rahm Emmanuel. There is plenty of information on the internet about him, his plundering of wealth for the corporate elite in Illinois and his position on Israel which affects you as I'm sure you know.
Also, it would behoove you to study Mussolini and Fascism to understand its rise and what Obama's political maneuvers may look like during the coming 200 days. I will say this, Obama has about 200 days and beyond that will likely be looking at another false flag operation similar to 9/11. Barring that his time is limited since he has no mandate.
The Homeland Security Corps, Veterans Corps, Health Corps, Classroom Corps and Clean Energy Corp as his web site outlines, while being roundly approved by an unsuspecting public based on an editorial I posted on a web site I belong to and its comments; in order to judge public sentiment, are nothing more than the beginning of indoctrination into a Fascist Regime by Obama and his cohorts.
There will be additional bailouts, transferring the wealth, because the effectiveness of a Fascist State is based on its ability to reduce the living standards of the masses. Large companies will begin buying the smaller ones at fire sale prices. Unemployment will skyrocket and there will be no effective legislation beyond an extension of unemployment benefits for perhaps 13-26 weeks. More homes will be lost. Cities will claim bankruptcy. This is part of the plan.
The Fairness Doctrine will be implemented, well, they'll attempt to implement it and may succeed in order to stifle dissent and they'll use other methods such as Hate Crime Legislation, also to abrogate 1st Amendment rights.
War will surely be a part of the picture and certainly in Sudan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Keep in mind, most of my predictions are based on Trilateral Commission doctrine and Council On Foreign Relations doctrine and the published desires of the Rockefeller group and Zbigniew Brzezinski who is pulling the strings, which may make you cry "tin foil hats" but at least you heard it here and will recognize someone else recognized what in fact will happen quite quickly within the Obama presidency.
Let me say this also. No, you didn't offend me. However, I am not sitting in an ivory tower, sipping champagne and smoking cigars. I live in a house built in 1925 worth 30k less than I owe on it which is in a terrible state of disrepair. My income is also perhaps considerably less than you might think and in terms of oppression your personal affiliation with oppression is no greater or lesser than my own having had 6 million of my own people killed not long ago. The reason I've carried on this conversation is because my affiliation with your own constant fight for freedom may more closely resemble your own than you think.
Dr. Carolyn Baker, the person behind the web site mentioned above, in my investigations, has been determined to speak the truth. I also pay close attention to Michel Chossudovsky whose name can be found at Wikipedia for factual information in regard to what he's done with his life. I believe in him equally. I also have RSS feeds for over 200 sources some of which are Arab, Russian, Chinese and Palestinian sites. Raed Jarrar and Dahr Jamail are my two primary sources for information regarding Iraq. I don't know what your sources are. Mine, I'm confident are quite accurate and perhaps the best an American can find.
So, as I said, hope is a critical element in all of our lives, mine just as much as yours. I have a daughter and two small granddaughters who I have great hope for, but not in a world fouled by corrupt politicians. The one thing I won't do is allow myself to foster false hope, hope when there is none. An Obama presidency means constant vigilance as a necessity for all Americans and my fear is that so many people are consumed with Obama-mania and just as many, especially in the US, are completely uneducated globally and politically that Obama will run away with his plans for control of the Empire through a form of 21st Century Fascism.
Let's hope I'm wrong for all of the people of the world. I don't believe I am and unconditional support combined with unproven reasoning for hope is frightening.
Posted by: Jeff Prager | Monday, 10 November 2008 at 07:08 AM
Hi Tehranologist!
I just made a new and improved prediction about Iran's next presidential elections here:
http://mrs-immanuel-kant.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-new-and-improved-predictions-for.html
what do you think of this now? I'd love to know your opinion b/c as you know I'm shooting from the dark, I have no idea about what's going on there on the grounds!!!!
Thank You!
:-)
Posted by: Anahita | Monday, 10 November 2008 at 05:34 PM
Thanks Tehranologist! I liked your comment on my weblog, much less stinging this time! ;-)
but care to wager a bet?! ... I may be shooting from the dark, but you never know!!!! you know?! was Ahmadinejad very popular or even well-known in the whole of Iran 4 years ago????? Iranian politics works in mysterious ways, doesn't it??? that's what we (expatriates) all realized when we saw that name coming out of Iranian polling boxes in 2005!!!!! who knew????!!!!! :-)
Posted by: Anahita | Monday, 10 November 2008 at 08:26 PM
Jeff Prager,
Finally, someone who understands that 'conspiracy' is not a taboo word. And you're a George Carlin fan. Woohoo! Please email me: bluefont AT gmail DOT com
Posted by: Colin | Wednesday, 19 November 2008 at 05:30 AM
woah, wait till he moves out, and then make it exclusive. That way if he makes a mistake by coming home sexually to her, you won’ t look bad. Don’ t set yourself up. Wait till the right moment.
Posted by: how to get my ex girlfriend back fast | Monday, 12 January 2009 at 02:49 PM