"...in his Cairo address June 4, [Obama] accepted responsibility for America’s part in the enmity between the United States and Iran." - Helene Cooper, The New York Times.
Well halle-freaking-lujah, Mr. Obama! The president went on to admit that the United States staged a coup to forcibly remove a democratically elected Iranian president in the 1950s (Mossadegh), a move which was theatrically known as Operation Ajax. While remaining on the course of the Bush administration's policies towards Iran (insisting on an end to Iran's quest for nuclear power and condemning radical, militant Islam), Obama has held aloft a tentative hand of friendship. A move that the Iranian government has yet to respond to, in any way.
The recent elections in Iran sparked a quite remarkable (and personally satisfying) result. The actions of Ahmadinejad's "administration" prior to, during, and following the elections were highly suspicious. And for the first time in a long time, the Iranian people seemed to notice and act. Protests broke out in Tehran (the only place in the country where protests ever seem to happen...). The election was rigged! The people cried. The government and the clerics denied this possibility. "How dare you suggest that we, the ruling religious elite with heavy stakes in this election, could possibly be dishonest with you?"
With Ahmadinejad winning a whooping 64% of the vote (beating his opponent by 11 million votes), people's eyebrows couldn't help but creep a little higher towards their hairlines. Especially since many of them could swear they had voted for the other guy... Well, as it turns out, in many of the districts where Ahmadinejad had won en mass the polls showed that more people voted than actually lived in the area. So, for example: in a town whose population was 4,000 people, Ahmadinejad got 7,000 votes. Makes sense, right?
The single greatest effect of this blatant tyranny is that the people have finally been incited enough to do something besides rant about the injustice in their blogs! This whole awful political mess has given me so much hope for the country!
Stay strong, Iran! Solidarity! Let your oppressors know that your voice will not be silenced by military force or religious coercion! Huzzah!
-Impassioned Iranian-American
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