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Making Iran a Better Place

by AltHippo @ 11:21 am. Filed under Jingoism, Iran

Ken Roth (executive director of Human Rights Watch) asks at a WaPo blog:

“What is the best way to foster democracy in Iran?”

Some skeptics might note that, technically, Iran is older than the US (wikipedia):

Iran is one of the world’s oldest continuous major civilizations, with historical and urban settlements dating back to 4000 BCE, making it a possible candidate for the earliest human civilization.[7][8][9] Throughout history Iran has been of geostrategic importance because of its central location in Eurasia. Iran is a founding member of the UN, NAM, OIC, OPEC, ECO, and seeks to join the SCO.

This makes some pointy-headed skeptics question whether we should be imposing our will on Iran, or even giving them advice. Pish tush! Where does an 800 pound gorilla sleep? Well, technically, they sleep in nests they build in trees, but that’s not the point. They’d sleep in the White House, if they wanted to. For all I know, they do sleep in the White House.

The point is that we need to remake Iran in our own image, now that the surge has succeeded in Iraq.

Here’s some specific things we should try right away:

Take away the vote from people who live in Iraq’s capital, Tehran. Just like here in DC.
Currently, the Iranian president is elected by universal suffrage with everyone 15 or older allowed to vote. I think you’ll agree that our electoral college system is much simpler. Florida and Ohio have simplified it to the point where you can predict the result based on the party of the Secretary of State.
Iran currently separates the president and commander-in-chief roles. That’s got to change. What self-respecting country would prevent their president from bombing the crap out of other countries? Without the God-like power of life and death over others, being president would lack dignity.

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95. Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum (I think that I think, therefore I think that I am.)
— Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

HippoWire

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Here, based on 16 years experience watching Bill Clinton campaign — and interviews with a half-dozen veterans of his political teams — is a reasonably safe bet about his campaign advice to Barack Obama: [Link]

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October 17, 2007

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