Jump to content

Bush to push democracy in Iran

Wounds Within

Recommended Posts

Wounds Within Newbie

Wounds Within

Posted
Posted

President Bush wants a huge sum of $75 million to try to spur democracy in Iran, expanding a program that can have little effect in the Islamic republic.

"The United States will actively confront the aggressive policies of the Iranian regime. At the same time, we will work to support the aspirations of the Iranian people for freedom and democracy in their country," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a congressional budget hearing.

From what I hear the $75 million would be used to broadcast USA radio and television programs into Iran and pay for Iranians to come here and study in America.

My question to you is are these efforts to reach out to Iranians who can work in a country where America is labeled the "Great Satan" and believed to be anti-Muslim, particularly because of a perception it favors Israelis over Palestinians? This is a valid concern. We have been in Iraq for years and they still have a long way to go, it just does not make sence why now Bush will charge into Iran and puch democracy there when his job in Iraq is still very incomplete.

The United States cut diplomatic ties with Iran after its 1979 revolution and is now also locked in a standoff with the Islamic republic to curb what it suspects are programs to build a nuclear bomb.

But the Bush administration has emphasized in recent weeks that it is not at odds with the people of Iran and said it wants to help them win freedoms from their government, but the same has been said with many middle eastern countries and it has not really helped much at all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The_Dark Newbie

The_Dark

Posted
Posted

Maybe we need to clarify a few things...

The USA and Iran are not locked on anything. As you said... The US cut ALL diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979. The UN and the UE are the bodys who are in a deadlock with Iran.

The broadcasting of Democratic propoganda to the peoples of Iran is not new. We have been supporting Democratic oppossition partys in Iran for years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Wounds Within Newbie

Wounds Within

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Maybe we need to clarify a few things...

The USA and Iran are not locked on anything. As you said... The US cut ALL diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979. The UN and the UE are the bodys who are in a deadlock with Iran.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually I was shown a newspaper article was shown to me at work which brought all this to my attention and then I wrote on this topic.

The article stated that the USA had ended diplomatic ties with Iran in 1979 which I believe to be true since this was after Iran's revolution in 1979. However your words of the UN and UE is also true, but I was just pointing out America in reguards to the topic at hand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
phee Enthusiast

phee

Posted
Posted

My point was... this is not a new program. We have been giving Pro-democracy groups in Iran between 1 and 3 million a year for the last 20 years. This new spending is just a boost in funding to an already established program.

This is true...

And the last time the U.S. funded a democracy in Iran, they elected a guy that the U.S. didn't like, so the U.S. had him removed....

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Msterbeau Collaborator

Msterbeau

Posted
Posted

My point was... this is not a new program. We have been giving Pro-democracy groups in Iran between 1 and 3 million a year for the last 20 years. This new spending is just a boost in funding to an already established program.

I'm not arguing that it's new. It just seems a little fishy to be making a big push at this when there is a lot of bad news in the press about the president's adminisration. Further, if all they were spending is a couple million a year, I wouldn't object. But, at a time when congress is about to make some significant cuts in a lot of worthwhile domestic programs, how can we afford $75 million for this??

Link to comment
Share on other sites
phee Enthusiast

phee

Posted
Posted

Eh? Are you talking about the Shaw? We did like him... It was Carter that stopped supporting him. Not really sure what Carter was thinking...

Yeah the Shaw.... When I say the U.S. I guess that is a bit of a catch all... and he was removed for whatever reasons are beyond my scope... I heard that "we" liked him... just not the U.S. government I guess...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The_Dark Newbie

The_Dark

Posted
Posted

No, the US Government liked him. He was Pro-west. He sold us oil, cheap. Carter, for whatever his reasons, decided to not back him when the Islamic Fascists staged a revolt. He did allow the Shaw to come here in exile... Which caused the hostage crisis. The most extreme wing of the Islamic peoples has controlled Iran ever since. Hell, in 1997 they had a democratic election... the Islamic Courts promptly voided the results when 69% of the populace voted them out of power.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
soothsayer Newbie

soothsayer

Posted
Posted

I think we should stop supporting them with our tax dollars, stay out of their business, keep our eyes on them from a distance so they don't develope nuclear weapons and let them kill their own people. If that doesn't work let's just nuke the middle east and get rid of the worlds biggest headache.

Let's face it, they have little to no repect for western civilzation or its people (the right wing radicals anyway) and they can't even get along with themselves. Not to mention, Irans newest leader (rumored) wants to destroy Isreal. 2,000 years and they still behave the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The_Dark Newbie

The_Dark

Posted
Posted

How the hell do you get Exxon Oil war out of this situatation?

Their government has in the past said publicaly that if they ever got a nuclear weapon they would use it on Israel. If they got a second one, they would use it on the US.

Thier current "president" has publicaly said that Israel should be wiped off the map.

They are building a type of nuclear power reactor that makes weapons grade plutonium as a by-product.

Russia has offered a free nuclear reactor that doesn't make weapons as a by-product, they refused it.

Iran has one of the largest and richest oil fields in the world... Why do they need nuclear power?

Really... if you don't understand or know everything thats going on.. just say so.. someone will explain it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Forum Statistics

    38.9k
    Total Topics
    821.4k
    Total Posts

  • Who's Online   0 Members, 0 Anonymous, 76 Guests (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.

  I accept