Clear, concise, and well written. Thank you. About the Twelver; am I the only one who thinks jogging God’s elbow sounds like a really, REALLY bad idea?
Twelvers, as a whole, just believe there's a 12th Imam floating around somewhere, who will bring about Judgement Day when God is good and ready. And they're quite content for God to figure that out on His own.
It's the Iranian idiots who believe that they not only can influence God, but that it's their holy duty to do so.
Personally, I'm pretty sure that trying to jog your God's arm is the very definition of 'hubris'.
When Saul went to a witch in the Old Testament instead of trusting the Lord that got him and his three sons killed. There are a couple of similar examples.
It helps enormously, Ian. Middle Eastern politics (ahem) remain a mystery to the general populace of the US. I spent a year living in Riyadh, and when I came home the depth of ignorance about the kingdom was staggering to me. The usual impression was that "Arabia" was on a scale somewhere between Tales of the Arabian Nights and tent-dwelling nomads. I found that almost no one believed me about things like "Chop-chop Square".
Polished granite? Could be sealed with something that repels iron and proteins; with Saudi money you can afford the fanciest polish seal job in the history of rocks.
Or you can let the blood soak in and say "Step wrong and you too will be a puddle in this rock."
I would recommend that the incoming Iranian "secular" government contact Israel under the table about helping identify and locate IRGC members. I'm sure they've got a pretty comprehensive set of files on those gentlemen.
Ayatollah Khomeini famously said “We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.”
The mullahs should be presumed to be similarly fanatical. Being corrupt and living at the top of the heap doesn't mean that they're cynical hypocrites. Even if they are, they will murderously protect being perceived to be fanatical Twelvers.
Whomever this is should be appointed Chief Panjandram and Invisible Instigator of whatever comes next in Iran. Either that or Official Fount of How to Fix That Chit. The Western Managerial and LetsMakeADeal types will utterly, totally --- it up. Using bullet points when the need is for bullets should be a hanging offense.
Or at least an offense leading to demotion to doing actual work.
Air drop a massive amount of guns and ammo into Iran. Let whoever takes up arms settle things as they see fit. Kind of like in WWII when we dropped Liberator .45 ACP pistols into France. Sure, it had no great effect, but maybe we didn't give them enough of the right arms. Arm the populace.
To be fair, they did fight Germany- and quite well back in 1914-18.
When the next round hit, neither France OR Britain did particularly well in 1940- both did the Wrong Thing by charging head long into Belgium. However, the English did have a channel to fall back across, so they could regroup and rearm. Without it, they'd be under the same sort of scorn the French are.
As for directly fighting during the occupation, it's kinda hard when your occupiers are ready, willing, and able to kill whole villages in retaliation for direct partisan attacks. But many did anyway.
Of course, as with all such overtly fanatical organs of state tyranny, one wonders how much of the fanaticism is real & heartfelt, or is it merely performative as a means to promotion?
The clever & ambitious have always been very good at faking pietism, and networking with fellow fakers for mutual benefit in the organization. Which often means purging the true believers as they backstab and plot their way up the ladder.
Not to say that the fakers are not dangerous- I suspect that they're probably worse because they're motivated by personal ambition, with just enough "Inshallah" to quiet any remaining pangs of conscience.
I am so convinced you are correct I'm saving your post and hope to eventually check your list against what's done when finally please God these monsters fall. From your mouth to God's ear, and also the ears of those who are fighting them already, and will fight them.
Very interesting. I don't think I have seen anybody else discuss the situation in such depth. And fluency. You do make it interesting. The basijis or whatever seem to be the equivalent of Hitlers SA i.e. the storm troopers, unpaid thugs who went around beating who they didn't like. (mostly Jews)
Thanks very much for the background. Some I knew, but only at a much higher level. Unfortunately, there will need to be a lot of bodies stacked if the transition to a non-neurotic form of government is going to take place but the only real alternative (ongoing Islamic metastasis) is much worse.
Whatever the solution in Iran, it cannot involve return to old ways. The Shah had SAVAK to bring terror to those who caused "trouble", so one evil replaced another. I agree the best way to treat the current Iranian power structure is to turn it into fertilizer, the sooner the better. Whatever takes its place will not be what we (US) want, but what the Persians want. Hope it's better than what they have.
As an aside, the mullahs who wear the black turban claim direct decent from Mohammad.
The SAVAK were there to protect the Persian people from all the groups mentioned in the article. Yes, their tactics were hard, but the enemies of Iran they chased were; as we see now, way worse.
I have to disagree on you with the actions of SAVAK. The organization was set up after the Shah was restored to power by the CIA and MI6. Although their original purpose was as you stated, they ended up surveilling and spying on all Persians, using terror and torture, and especially repressing other versions of Islam. Whatever happens in Iran, I pray they do not bring SAVAK into the mix.
Clear, concise, and well written. Thank you. About the Twelver; am I the only one who thinks jogging God’s elbow sounds like a really, REALLY bad idea?
Twelvers, as a whole, just believe there's a 12th Imam floating around somewhere, who will bring about Judgement Day when God is good and ready. And they're quite content for God to figure that out on His own.
It's the Iranian idiots who believe that they not only can influence God, but that it's their holy duty to do so.
Personally, I'm pretty sure that trying to jog your God's arm is the very definition of 'hubris'.
When Saul went to a witch in the Old Testament instead of trusting the Lord that got him and his three sons killed. There are a couple of similar examples.
It helps enormously, Ian. Middle Eastern politics (ahem) remain a mystery to the general populace of the US. I spent a year living in Riyadh, and when I came home the depth of ignorance about the kingdom was staggering to me. The usual impression was that "Arabia" was on a scale somewhere between Tales of the Arabian Nights and tent-dwelling nomads. I found that almost no one believed me about things like "Chop-chop Square".
It's amazing that the granite tiles of Deera Square aren't stained with all the blood that's been spilled there.
Polished granite? Could be sealed with something that repels iron and proteins; with Saudi money you can afford the fanciest polish seal job in the history of rocks.
Or you can let the blood soak in and say "Step wrong and you too will be a puddle in this rock."
I would recommend that the incoming Iranian "secular" government contact Israel under the table about helping identify and locate IRGC members. I'm sure they've got a pretty comprehensive set of files on those gentlemen.
Excellent, clear, concise summary.
Ayatollah Khomeini famously said “We do not worship Iran, we worship Allah. For patriotism is another name for paganism. I say let this land [Iran] burn. I say let this land go up in smoke, provided Islam emerges triumphant in the rest of the world.”
The mullahs should be presumed to be similarly fanatical. Being corrupt and living at the top of the heap doesn't mean that they're cynical hypocrites. Even if they are, they will murderously protect being perceived to be fanatical Twelvers.
How do you say "Ragnarok" in Farsi, again?
Whomever this is should be appointed Chief Panjandram and Invisible Instigator of whatever comes next in Iran. Either that or Official Fount of How to Fix That Chit. The Western Managerial and LetsMakeADeal types will utterly, totally --- it up. Using bullet points when the need is for bullets should be a hanging offense.
Or at least an offense leading to demotion to doing actual work.
"The rest should bugger off with a quickness, once the bodies start bouncing."
Video Game Theory says the other 299,700 of them can respawn 300 leaders.
Thorough cleaning needed.
So, what I'm hearing is that if whoever does what they need to do then the grass will grow very well there?
Unfortunately we have a world full of Sauls who won't listen to such Samuel-esque type wisdom from God.
Air drop a massive amount of guns and ammo into Iran. Let whoever takes up arms settle things as they see fit. Kind of like in WWII when we dropped Liberator .45 ACP pistols into France. Sure, it had no great effect, but maybe we didn't give them enough of the right arms. Arm the populace.
Well, expecting the French to fight Germany was not very realistic. They prefer revolutions, strikes, etc.
I think arming Iranian population would be MUCH more effective.
To be fair, they did fight Germany- and quite well back in 1914-18.
When the next round hit, neither France OR Britain did particularly well in 1940- both did the Wrong Thing by charging head long into Belgium. However, the English did have a channel to fall back across, so they could regroup and rearm. Without it, they'd be under the same sort of scorn the French are.
As for directly fighting during the occupation, it's kinda hard when your occupiers are ready, willing, and able to kill whole villages in retaliation for direct partisan attacks. But many did anyway.
Or Sten guns, which were far more useful.
Of course, as with all such overtly fanatical organs of state tyranny, one wonders how much of the fanaticism is real & heartfelt, or is it merely performative as a means to promotion?
The clever & ambitious have always been very good at faking pietism, and networking with fellow fakers for mutual benefit in the organization. Which often means purging the true believers as they backstab and plot their way up the ladder.
Not to say that the fakers are not dangerous- I suspect that they're probably worse because they're motivated by personal ambition, with just enough "Inshallah" to quiet any remaining pangs of conscience.
I am so convinced you are correct I'm saving your post and hope to eventually check your list against what's done when finally please God these monsters fall. From your mouth to God's ear, and also the ears of those who are fighting them already, and will fight them.
Very interesting. I don't think I have seen anybody else discuss the situation in such depth. And fluency. You do make it interesting. The basijis or whatever seem to be the equivalent of Hitlers SA i.e. the storm troopers, unpaid thugs who went around beating who they didn't like. (mostly Jews)
Thanks very much for the background. Some I knew, but only at a much higher level. Unfortunately, there will need to be a lot of bodies stacked if the transition to a non-neurotic form of government is going to take place but the only real alternative (ongoing Islamic metastasis) is much worse.
Whatever the solution in Iran, it cannot involve return to old ways. The Shah had SAVAK to bring terror to those who caused "trouble", so one evil replaced another. I agree the best way to treat the current Iranian power structure is to turn it into fertilizer, the sooner the better. Whatever takes its place will not be what we (US) want, but what the Persians want. Hope it's better than what they have.
As an aside, the mullahs who wear the black turban claim direct decent from Mohammad.
The SAVAK were there to protect the Persian people from all the groups mentioned in the article. Yes, their tactics were hard, but the enemies of Iran they chased were; as we see now, way worse.
I have to disagree on you with the actions of SAVAK. The organization was set up after the Shah was restored to power by the CIA and MI6. Although their original purpose was as you stated, they ended up surveilling and spying on all Persians, using terror and torture, and especially repressing other versions of Islam. Whatever happens in Iran, I pray they do not bring SAVAK into the mix.
Fair enough, we are simpatico. I just pray something happens soon….
If I could only be so clear. Thank you.
Thanks, Ian for a very informative post. I disagree on one point:
Short drop. And leave the body, pour encorager les autres.