Poll | 06/23/2009 11:00 pm

Should the U.S. be more involved in the election aftermath in Iran?

Read more about: Barack Obama, Elections, Iran, Politics

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This is interesting: Iranian mullahs marched in the demonstrations—the rift is there.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/23/iran.protest.faces/index.html

By f p on 06/24/2009 6:51 am

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If the people want freedom, they are going to have to do it their own way.

They won’t respect themselves nor any government they get if they haven’t handled it on their own.

As for the election - I’m sort of baffled why they are willing to protest over which puppet gets voted in when the Supreme Ruler seems to be the one they are really upset with. If the people learn nothing else but the incumbant (Supreme Ruler) (any incumbant really) needs to be thrown out every once in awhile, then they’ll have learned a valuble lesson. Otherwise they are only setting themselves up for another dictator. With dictators - no matter how benevolant they start - the power goes to their heads and corrupts absolutely.

When all is said and done, I don’t think anything major will change.

The government will continue to state their problems all arrise from outside influences, and the people will buy into it eventually.

By B Clark on 06/24/2009 8:20 am

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I agree with the way in which President Obama is handling the Iranian election protests. Tuesday he made it quite clear that he is apalled by the treatment of the protesters at the hands of their government. But some (Republicans) are calling for more outrage (McCain). What more do they want? Threats? Bullying? They’re still living in the GW Bush era. When all is said and done, President Obama is the one who has to deal with the Iranian government, regardless of the outcome of the protests. Let him do his job as he sees fit.

By Nanny hasSeven on 06/24/2009 8:31 am

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And … switch nations: Americans in the U.S. protesting at 1/2 the level of those in Iran! Tolerance? Acceptance? The government listening to Americans? Never. It would be off to the "Bush Bootcamps" - to be sure, and Iran, and N. Korea knows this full well.

When his esteem highness (Secretary of Defense), and others on Capitol Hill close our own "boot camps" things will change here and internationally.

By C jay on 06/24/2009 11:11 pm

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The President was taking a tempered approach at the advice of the American Iranian Counsel, with whom he talks daily. Now that there is small chance that he will enter any type of nuclear power talks with Iran, he has been taking a harder edge. McCain’s worthless chatter is irrelevant in that he obviously is not in his inner circle and doesn’t know what is going on .

Iran will continue its loud mouth bullying attitude as long as countries are dependent on its oil. Their economy has nothing else the global community wants. It is oil that allows the current shahs… The Supreme Leader and Shah Ahmadinejad…to call the shots. As long as oil is the king pin, sanctions don’t mean a thing. If oil hit $20 a barrel, the two petro shahs would be more than happy to play nice with the West.

More reason to support President Obama’s energy saving initiatives, including investment in renewable energies.

By Maggie W on 06/24/2009 9:04 am

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Barbara Slavin, a longtime diplomatic correspondent for USA Today has long been one of the most astute American reporters on Iran. In her book, "Bitter Friends, Bosom Enemies", she chronicles a sad litany of missed opportunities for improved relations, most of them derailed by the ill-timed intervention of hardliners on either side. Right now, wiser minds have been at work, and with the Obama administration’s understanding the legacy of mistrust and the range of prickly issues that separate America and Iran, knowing they face immense obstacles in trying to steer toward less troubled waters, they are doing exactly the right thing. It’s that old tired word, "Trust" that’s needed here or maybe confidence is a better word. Let’s have confidence that our President knows what the hell he is doing.

By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 06/24/2009 9:27 am

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Phyllis, we can go back to Reagan in the Iran Contra disaster and earlier esp. with England’s partitioning of the middle-east after WW1 for the disastrous relations we have with them. Georgie’s total lack of a cogent foreign policy or any foreign policy for that matter didn’t help one iota either. All in all the west over the nearly last 100 years has screwed up mightily in the mid-east. Add to this our propping up of the Shah and you have a recipe for utter disaster.

By f p on 06/25/2009 6:38 am

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We do not need to start meddling in their affairs even after the election is proved one way or the other. All this talk of Obama needing to talk tough is utter rubbish, he is taking the right approach on all this as we will have to deal with them down the road no matter who ends up the President. Pouring fuel on a fire already going is reckless to say the least and those idiotic Republicans…McCain/Graham etc just need to keep their noses out of it by trying to ramp up the same old "war drum" beat yet again! We all know their sole purpose is to undermine the President that much is obvious but at the end of the day he is the President and their babble means nothing!

By caj p on 06/24/2009 9:50 am

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I find it hard to take any thing McCain says about Iran. After all he said "bomb, bomb Iran".Presidnat Obama is taking the rightstance.

By Sondra Leonard on 06/24/2009 12:18 pm

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Sondra, I think Ahm-a-dumb-jihad will lose his puppet presidency out of this mess, eventually. It would be incredible if democracy could take root in Iran!

By James the Game on 06/24/2009 12:47 pm

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I don’t know James: The one running against him is just as bad. Don’t see democracy in their future till they can create a secular state.

By Irish Eyes NY on 06/24/2009 4:37 pm

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James, maybe not today or tomorrow, but as the population gets older and more worldly, I feel confident they’ll push towards and win some form of democracy. The key is removing the clerics.

By Andrea Brandon on 06/24/2009 4:53 pm

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North Korea has, today, threatened to wipe the United States off the face of the earth. This government is very menacing - I think they are a more immediate problem. The US is not capable of fighting wars on so many fronts. Whether or not we should have attacked Iraq is a moot point - we did and things are heating up in the Middle East - the future is very grim - I feel sorry for the Iranian civilians who are endangered no matter where they turn but there is nothing we can do to help them. It is time for European countries to become involved - if the US goes down, they will be next. We helped Europe not once but twice at great sacrifice - now we need support and no one comes forward. We’ve made huge mistakes - future generations will pay for them. If things keep on the way they are, I can believe that 2012 could be the end of everything. Even without all the wars, this country is crumbling - thousands of bridges are in danger of collapse, water is becoming more precious as rivers and water sources dry up, our young people are going down the tubes as schools and parents fail to ensure they get a good education (60% of middle grade students failed to graduate in one Chicago school this year), teenage pregnancies, violence, drug and alcohol use are escalating. Millions of people go to bed hungry, millions have lost jobs and homes and are living on the streets. Add to that the floods, tornadoes and drought that affect every part of our country. The future, no matter how you look at it, is Very grim. Neither leader in Iran is worthy of our help or support - they hate us with a passion. Enough already! We can not be all things to all people - it’s time to resolve problems within our borders.

By Pdr de on 06/24/2009 10:47 am

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Well said, Pdr de: It’s called the TRIBULATION. That my dear, is what is going on.

And as for that psycho in N. Korea, GW Bush had it right when he put him with the Axis of Evil. Remember that? And the press and all the liberals critized him for speaking what turns out to be the truth.

I think we all need to get on our knees and pray for this wonderful country of ours, that is truly the only hope.

By Irish Eyes NY on 06/24/2009 4:43 pm