[thechat] A balance of opinion.

[Erik Mattheis]

First off, a repetition of my original thought experiment:

You live in Iran, the most democratic Islamic country in the world. You 
have been politically active and have seen your country make great 
strides towards guaranteeing rights like people enjoy in the US. You 
hear powerful people in the Pentagon talking about forcing a "regime 
change" on your country. How would you feel?

Nowhere do Imply that the thought experiment takes place in a shining 
city of democracy on the hill. As I understand things, the operative 
authority in Iran varies from region to region: the democratic 
government, military rule or Islamic mullahs. But it's getting better 
on it's own, and I doubt you can refute that.

I don't have time to check out all the links you provide, but I stand 
by my claim that Iran is evolving just fine, and will simply note that 
that your "reality lesson #1" is hosted on angelfire. I'm sure I could 
come up with countless sites hosted on Angelfire claim that the United 
States is not a representative democracy (true being that SCOTUS 
installed the Bush regime via judicial fiat), people are not guaranteed 
equal rights (true being that a US citizen has been denied council due 
to 9-11 paranoia),  and that woman are not equal to men in the US 
(true, even when you ignore anatomical differences).

What I wish is that:

1. Pro-invasion people here would have the balls to come out and say 
"I'm pro-invasion"
2. Someone would give me a logical explanation of why the 
neoconservative's vision of American militarily enforced hegemony is 
good for the World.
3. Someone would knock some sense into me and convince me that even 
though my country has taken the first step toward world domination 
through military force, I should spend a portion of my time attending 
to my client's needs.

Regarding #3, I warn you, the argument would have to be impeccably 
logical, as I have no choice but to reside on this planet and thing in 
the long term.

--
-/erik/

Anti-invasion activism ideas:
<http://shockingelk.com/>

He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my 
contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the 
spinal cord would fully suffice.

- Albert Einstein
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