Iranian reformists appear have won all 30 seats representing the nation’s capital in parliament, a definitive rebuke to the hard-liners opposing President Hassan Rouhani’s efforts to open the economy and cooperate with the West.
In the first elections held since last year’s nuclear deal, none of Iran’s three main political camps — reformists, conservatives and hard-liners — is expected to win an outright majority in the 290-seat parliament, but early results indicate the best reformist showing in more than a decade.
Moderate conservatives also gained seats, and if their tentative coalition with the reformists holds, they could end the domination of parliament by hard-liners who were opposed to the nuclear deal. The reformist gains reflect strong public support for the agreement’s promise of more economic opportunities now that the West has dropped crippling sanctions in exchange for limiting the nation’s nuclear program.
Of course with more reformists and moderates in the parliament mean less distrust of the West, and fewer folks arguing for a re-instituted nuclear weapons program.
Just goes to show that if you work with people, instead of referring to them as part of the "Axis of Evil," you are likely to win more hearts and minds than by punishing them for forty plus years.
And yes I realize that the Right Wing will immediately see this as a charade put on by Iran to lower America's defenses, but then again what would they not see as that?
As the years pass fewer and fewer people in Iran have living memory of the U.S. overthrowing their elected leader in the 50's and installing the Shah.
ReplyDeleteProgress takes baby steps sometimes.
Congratulations to the Iranians for trying to move forward despite the U.S. and England's bullshit in the middle east.
Thanks Obama
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in college in the 1970s/80s, there were a lot of Iranian exchange students. I found them to be smart, funny, and very western oriented. I think our issues with Iran are more political than real. Now it seems to be our religious fundamentalists (i.e., many Republicans) against Iran's religious fundamentalists. On a related note, in yesterday's Medal of Honor ceremony, the recipient crossed himself (i.e., like Catholics do) after getting the medal. I'm sure many in the Middle East are thinking, "see, this is a Holy War."
ReplyDeleteI think our difficulties with Iran were a figment of the neocons imagination. Yes, both Iran and the USA have our religious fundamentalists who want a Holy War, but the average Iranian is educated, cultured, and western looking. Iran is not Arab, but Persian, with the cultured history of the Persian empire. Now, may the USA follow in Iran's example and push our fundamentalists out of power.
DeleteElizabeth 44
Now if we Democrats can take back our government from the Loony Tunes, the world will be a much safer, saner place. get out and vote!!
ReplyDeleteI AGREE!!
DeleteWait. Does this mean Never-2-B-President Theocracy "Ted" Cruz should delay carpet bombing them?
ReplyDeleteThat's why we need more Democrats in Congress. Iran has learned what it means to have hardliners in charge .... A backward shitty country. They have the Ayatollah and his minions, America has the republicans .... No difference between them when it comes to radical stupidity.
ReplyDeleteDEMOCRATS REGISTER TO VOTE AND SHOW UP TO THE VOTING STATIONS.... GET RID OF THOSE STUPID BACKWARD REPUBLICANS AND AS THEY SAY "TAKE THE COUNTRY BACK"
How soon people forget the damage eight years of the Bush Regime have brought to the world. Clearly, we have in President Obama, a man who thinks carefully before he frames his words, is knowledgeable about world affairs and the value of negotiating and keeping violence as the last choice. He understands though we're all different, we all bleed red and violence accomplishes nothing.
ReplyDelete