Over the past week, I, like most Americans, have been following the unfolding drama in Iran. I think it would be safe to say that the world has been watching. The images that are making it out of Iran are haunting. They are indisputable proof that the Iranian government is guilty of attacks against its own people.
It is clear that the Iranian government is trying to control its population with intimidation, brutal attacks and murder. It is also clear that the Iranian government does not want a true democracy. They want loyal subjects who are not free-thinkers and subservient to the ideologies of men who place themselves above what is just.
I’m not sure I’d classify what is happening in Iran as a “revolution”, at least not yet. But, the Iranian government is treating the daily protests as major conflicts against the ruling parties. The police and pro-government thugs, known as the Basiji, are carrying out orders issued by the leaders in an attempt to crush the movement.
It has been alarmingly obvious since last Saturday. The signs of how this was going to play out have been there. Communications to the outside world have been severed. Journalists have been threatened with arrest and told not to report what is really happening on the streets. And they are blaming the United States and Britain for the discord.
Without professional journalism reporting the truth, Iranians have turned to social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to report what is happening. We can’t really verify what we are reading and seeing, but we can’t deny the brutality of this dictatorship. We’ve seen it before. We know what it looks like.
But how involved should we be in the conflict?
President Obama has been criticised for not taking action. Ask yourself, what action should be taken? Send in the Marines? Send bombers over there in an effort to topple the government? Although we’d all like to see these actions take place, in the real world it’s not an option.
It’s a shame that some republicans feel that bashing the President will further their cause. Mouthpieces of the fanatical right, like John McCain, apparently think they know better. Come on guys, the campaign is over. Give it a rest. It’s time to stop causing division in our own country.
Yesterday, President Obama released a statement denouncing the actions of the Iranian government. Realistically, that’s all that can be done right now.
Until the U.N. steps in, condemns what is happening and takes action, our hands are tied. We cannot militarily fight another war on a different front because of civil unrest, regardless of how unpleasant it is. Regardless of how much we believe every country should be a democracy like the U.S. All we can do is stand with the Iranian people, put the Iranian government on notice and continue to be witness to the atrocities.