That was the title to a Peter Frampton song, WAY back in the day. But I'm not here to talk about "Frampton Comes Alive," Humble Pie, or that 70s staple, the talk box ("Do you feel, like I do?")
Rather, "something's happening" is that intuitive sense that something monumental is about to happen, something that has been building in recent days, may be coming to a head, and will make a significant mark on history.
I had that feeling beginning in 1989 when Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Lithuania, and other Soviet Republics began asserting their desire for independence, and the Berlin Wall was torn down. Within a couple of years, the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
Fast forward 20 years.
The mass public demonstrations in Iran preceding and following this past weekend’s election seem to hint at an inevitable, coming transformation of this long-time pariah power.
Iran is known for imprisoning and torturing dissidents, but the fear of being beaten by police, imprisoned, tortured, and maybe even dying, did not deter thousands of Iranians from taking to the streets to support Mir Hossein Mousavi, who opposed incumbent lunatic Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It did not stop them from blogging, perusing anti Ahmadinejad websites, or using their Blackberrys and cellphones to send friends messages about anti-government or pro-Mousavi rallies.
Despite millions of paper ballots being cast, and substantial support for Mousavi, Iranian state TV announced just a few hours after polls closed that Ahmadinejad had won the election by a 2-1 margin.
President Barack Obama, no surprise, did not issue a statement condemning the obvious sham of a vote, nor will he publicly support the Iranians hungering for greater freedom and relief from the oppressive Shia theocracy that crushes them every day.
I don’t want him to make the colossal mistake George H.W. Bush did in 1991, urging Shia muslims in Iraq to “rise up” and oppose Saddam, then leaving them high-and-dry to be slaughtered like fish in a barrel. But I would like to at least hear the President express some umbrage about Iran’s blatantly disingenuous effort to demonstrate democracy and the legitimate concerns of the millions of Iranians who voted for Mousavi.
Oh, and Barry, one other thing: WHY are you opposed to congressional legislation calling for sanctions against companies that sell gasoline to Iran? (Despite having huge oil reserves, Iran must import 40 percent of its gasoline due to insufficient refinery capacity.)
This must be another example of the liberal logic void. I don't even want to get into it.
It should be noted that Mousavi could potentially be a much worse danger to Iran and the world than Ahmadinejad. He was evidently involved in the execution of dissenters in the late 1980's (30,000 killed in the middle of the desert and buried in a mass grave), among other things. Apparently, he is the only person who is referring to him as a reformist...
Either way, the people lose...
Posted by: Mordrach | June 16, 2009 at 10:30 AM