Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Will you join in our crusade?
Who will be strong and stand with me?
Beyond the barricade
Is there a world you long to see?
Then join in the fight
That will give you the right to be free!

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

Will you give all you can give
So that our banner may advance
Some will fall and some will live
Will you stand up and take your chance?
The blood of the martyrs
Will water the meadows of Iran!

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!

I'm hoping that we can have a discussion about world events without it crossing into the realm of politics/religion per se, although I'm sure some mention of both will come up given the subject matter. It's not really intended to be a PARF discussion, mostly just a sharing of thoughts on a major event with global implications.

I agree totally Jeff but you know how it is round here. I must admit that I really haven't been paying much attention to news lately but it looks hairy. Two brothers in the scout troop have an iranian mother. I would like to get her views on what's going on. She came to America when she was 19. She's in her mid 40s now.

How is this thread not about politics and religion when discussing the overthrow of a theocracy?

I live in an Iranian community. It's been surprisingly quiet.

I don't think there is much, or any, scope for the US to get involved in Iran at this point. There is not much we can do to assist the opposition beyond helping them communicate (e.g. the State Dept asked Twitter to delay some maintenance to ensure uninterrupted service in Iran).

One of my favorite professors from grad school did work with the Peace Corps in Iran just before the fall of the Shah. Very interesting stories about the country, the people, their history, etc. I truly hope that better times are coming for Iran - I'm sure he'd love to go back there and I know I'd love to visit someday. Obviously an impossibility under the current regime (unless I'm driving a tank or an A-10 I suppose...) I'd love to see better relations with Iran. All the Persians/Iranians I've ever met are extremely nice and interesting people. I'm hopeful for their sakes and for the sake of the world (which would obviously benefit from a more enlightened, open and tolerant Iran).

It's all going to come down to the military commanders and how much loyalty they have to the clerics. Whoever controls the military will end up controlling the country and its future. The way it always is...

A strange thread. So many Americans regarding Persians as actual human beings. Maybe there is more afoot than an election.

The Genie is out of the bottle. It remains to be seen how willing the younger Iranian generation is to die for true freedom. And whether the New American Hope would provide support for them.

Provided merely for academic background and humour. No offense intended. But it is rather funny...and timely.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kpgJzlY9y8A&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kpgJzlY9y8A&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

They are all inside watching the news and on the internet.

Good friend of mine is Iranian and she is in constant contact with friends/family over there. Its getting difficult over there...

IF the margin was truly 11 million in favor of ahmadinejhad is it more likely that his party was able to actually "stuff" that many ballots into the box, or that it is merely a made up number? Either way a new vote can really be made to look like sour grapes on the part of the Moussavi couldn't it?

Or perhaps the real point of all of this is the people opposing ahamdinejhad are ACTUALLY rising up and doing something huge.

FB,

The problem is that there is no way that the votes, no matter who they were for, could be really counted in that time frame. Its simply impossible, and they were done without computers or any other electronic means to tally the results.

If they can counted 40 million ballots in 5-6 hours BY HAND, then we need to hire them over here in the states. Otherwise its an absolute lie, and thats why the Iranian people are rioting in the streets.

We are seeing a modern version of the revolution in Hungary in 1956 against the Russians. Hope that it turns out better as 3000 people were killed in 17 days of conflict and the Russians retained control over the country for another 30 some years.

Joe A

ahamidinejahd needed to win with a majority or the top 2 would have a run-off. Even if he did when fair and square, he could not have pulled a majority of 70%.

As Joeseka wrote, there is no way to count 40 million votes in 6 hours.

It doesn't seem like we should be calling this "rioting", they aren't at all like a riot in LA or Detroit. These people don't seem to be burning and looting. Yet.
It seems like "protest".

The police are now killing the so called "terrorists ".

CNN has posted video of a burning Basij HQ

so it looks like they took out a base for Khomeini's paramilitary enforcers....

If we could get Iran to blame N. Korea for this uprising....

Wrong. We have a stockpile of guns we seized in Iraq courtesy of the Iranian government. We could ship their guns back to them, via the protesters.

Yep. And my thread about Tony Hawk skateboarding in the WH gets moved.

Funny, the politics of OT.