Why Hate Iran?

It's all about oil. No, I'm just talking about the recent rumblings of war towards Iran. The whole history of modern Western involvement in Iran has to do with oil.

In 1941, Britain and the Soviet Union occupied Iran to secure the oil fields and supply lines. The reason Britain was so invested during and after the war, was that British Petroleum (then, Anglo-Persian Oil Company). In 1951, the pro-western prime minister Ali Razmara was assassinated by the Fadayan-e Islam organization. Mohammad Mossadeq, a nationalist, was elected as prime minister. He helped the Iranian government nationalize the oil reserves. The British government considered the oil reserves a vital resource and petitioned the act to the International Court of Justice, but was dismissed.

The crafty Brits devised a plan to overthrow Mossadeq using the paranoia of America towards the Soviet Union and communism. They gave the Americans falsified evidence that Mossadeq was plotting to join with the Soviet Union's communist influence. In 1953, President Eisenhower approved a CIA plan to overthrow the government. The coup d'etat against the democratically elected government was considered a huge success by the CIA. So, the US conducted the first strike of terrorism against Iran.

The pro-western Shah was put in place of a democratically elected prime minister and ruled until 1979, when Iranians revolted. On November 4, 1979, Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran and took hostages for 444 days.

I do not condone what those students did. I also do not condone what the US did when they overthrew Mossadeq. Basically, I simplify it to a prank war that the US started. The score is 1-1. Why not call a truce? Why continue to hate Iran?

Is it because Iran is basically a theocracy? Is it because they supposedly support terrorists? Is it because Iran is trying to develop nuclear technology? None of those reasons seem valid.

The US has replaced many governments that were elected democratically, with ones that are either dictatorships or basically puppets. We even support Saudi Arabia, another theocracy.

The US State Department define terrorism as "the unlawful use of -- or threatened use of -- force or violence against individuals or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives." Do I need to even go into this one. The US has been doing this one forever.

No, I don't want to see a nuclear Iran. I think it's bad for a region that is already not stable. But, there's no reason to huff and puff over something that's years away from happening. There are peaceful ways to resolve such a situation. It would also help if we tried to improve relations with Iran instead of threatening to use force against them.

So, why do we hate Iran? I can't think of any good reason. Can you?

9/11 Redux

There are some in this country who believe that another terrorist attack on America would be a good thing. I am not sure if these thoughts are a sick joke or the ramblings of an insane asylum escapee. The very thought that only through violence and bloodshed Americans could be brought together sickens me to my core.

If we are fighting a global war on terror as the Bush administration, the GOP, and many democrats have said, then wouldn't anyone conspiring to commit an act similar to 9/11 be our enemies. In fact, it may even be treasonous to suggest such an act.

I do not see these people, who claim such acts of terror would be good for our country, serving up their families for these sacrifices. These are the same people who have supported the Iraq war from the start, but have no family member serving in the armed services. They know nothing of sacrifice and are cowards, shielding themselves from reality with sick fantasies of bloodshed and mayhem of their fellow man so that they may feel righteous somehow.

It disturbs me even further that people like this are my neighbors, fellow Americans, that I would sacrifice for and help in a time of need. Through peace we can accomplish so much more than through violence. But, these people are violent religious extremists that are not unlike those who attacked us on 9/11. Hell, they want it to happen again.

My fellow Americans, if you are not sickened by the words of these people, then perhaps it is you that is the enemy of this country. Serve up your offering of flesh to be sacrificed in the bloodshed you have proposed. Serve up your children, your wives, your mothers and fathers. For we will gladly destroy you for the good of this country if that is what you want. Perhaps once you are gone America will unite together as they did after 9/11, but only because we removed the cancerous tumor of America that is you.