Reflections From a Murky Pond

You’ve got to admit, no matter what your opinion is of President Obama’s agenda or his job performance, that he’s one of the world’s greatest Pitchmen. He opens his mouth and so many of the masses buy whatever he’s selling; it’s incredible in a terrifying sort of way.

Barack Obama – ShamWow!

I just think that America would be better off if we saw Obama on infomercials and on the Home Shopping Channel Rather than on C-Span and the international media.

Also, sadly nothing that Obama is shilling comes with a money back guarantee; it’s a sold as-is with no warranties implied…

President Obama’s public position on Iran and the results of the Iranian presidential election debacle is essentially a non-position. The President of the United States of America has been largely silent on the matter of the probably election fraud and the massive protests within Iran.

He’s caught more than a little flak over his silence on the issue of Iranian democracy and freedom.

A large contingent of both those on the Left and on the Right have been voicing their outrage over President Obama’s non-position on the Iranian election results and aftermath. This seems to me to be the only recent example of real bipartisanship I’ve seen in America recently.

 
 
 
Ahmadinejad
vs.
Mousavi
 
 
 

It’s a shame that much of this outrage is flawed and based upon false beliefs and misunderstanding of the world as it stands today.

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So far, in the wake of the scandal that was the Iranian presidential election, the protests have been very large, ongoing, and largely nonviolent. To an almost unbelievable extent – to me at least – the supporters of Mir-Hossein Mousavi Khameneh have held themselves in check and maintain a stance of non-violence, despite being attacked, beaten, arrested, and killed by paramilitary forces loyal to Ahmedinajab.

Sadly, as of today, June 19, 2009, that is most likely going to either change or the protesters will have to slink home in utter defeat.

Ayatollah Khamenei demands Green Revolution to end — or else!

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first public appearance since the debacle of the elections and the beginnings of the protests inaptly called Green Revolution by Western media sources, threatened the protesters with reprisals and violence if they did not cease their efforts and be silent.

From The Nation (Abu Dhabi):

TEHRAN // Iran’s Supreme Leader has sternly warned protesters of an assault if they continue massive demonstrations demanding a new election. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sided with the hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and offered no concessions to the opposition. He effectively closed any chance for a new vote by calling the June 12 election an “absolute victory”.

The speech created a stark choice for candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and his supporters: drop their demands for a new vote or take to the streets again in blatant defiance of the man endowed with virtually limitless powers under Iran’s constitution.

Mr Mousavi and his supporters have staged massive street rallies in recent days that have posed the greatest challenge to the Iran’s Islamic ruling system since the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought it to power. So far, the government has not stopped the protests with force despite an official ban on them. But Mr Khamenei opened the door for harsher measures.

“It must be determined at the ballot box what the people want and what they don’t want, not in the streets,” he said. “I call on all to put an end to this method. … If they don’t, they will be held responsible for the chaos and the consequences.”

Mr Khamenei accused foreign media and western countries of trying to create a political rift and stir up chaos in Iran.

“Some of our enemies in different parts of the world intended to depict this absolute victory, this definitive victory, as a doubtful victory,” he said. “It is your victory. They cannot manipulate it.”

Mr Khamenei blamed the US, Britain and what he called Iran’s other enemies for fomenting unrest. He said Iran would not see a second revolution like those that transformed the countries of the former Soviet Union.

Mr Khamenei said the street protests would not have any impact. “Some may imagine that street action will create political leverage against the system and force the authorities to give in to threats. No, this is wrong,” he said.

Sadly for those in Iran who are protesting the “irregularities” of Ahmedinajab’s supposed reelection the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei probably isn’t bluffing or making overmuch of his threat against them. He, his pet dog, Ahmedinajab, the Iranian Republican Guard, and the paramilitary enforcers known in Iran as the Basij are most likely quite willing to use extreme and widespread violence to quell the Green Revolution.

So this so-called Green Revolution that has Ayatollah Ali Khamenei so scared and outraged is likely left with two equally unpalatable choices: end it, go home and accept the chains placed upon them by Khamenei and Ahmedinajab, or have the Green Revolution turn to crimson – the sticky, cloying crimson of blood in streets.

An open hand has long been a sign of peace and coming to someone with an open hand, whether literally or figuratively, has been a friendly gesture or attitude for equally as long.

Yet how little does this gesture mean to the person showing it or perceiving it when one has trained one’s self to the point where the open hand – indeed the person’s whole form – is a weapon itself?

Once one is trained to that level of ability and perception and awareness doesn’t one both always present the threat and analyze the level of threat presented by others?

I think this goes far beyond the clean and simple world of physical violence as well.

People who were born after 1983 are referred to as Generation Y. I used to think this was laziness intermixed with a certain level of irony since the previous generation were referred to as Generation X.

So That’s Why They’re Generation Y!

Then, all of a sudden, calling them Generation Y made perfect sense. 😛