Imperialism And Resistance

Readers of this blog probably don’t need a run down of the anti-Iran campaign being waged by the US/”western” media – so, instead, lets take a look at three examples of the left-liberals: there are still those who expect leftists to be more careful with their analyses, and to actually base their words on facts, and realities – instead of the opportunism that they are now displaying:

Below are three examples, comments follow:

“So, whatever the truth about the claims of a fix, these protests can do nothing but good. They may, in addition to getting rid of some particularly onerous forms of oppression, open up a space in which the left can operate more freely, and in which the labour movement can assert itself more forcefully.”

“An energized populace in Iran, willing to defy illegitimate state edicts, can only lead to good, fraud or no fraud.”

“In the end it will result in a crisis. This will be a government of crisis, which will probably not last its full term. The political and social divisions inside Iran will be widened. The militancy of the workers will grow and express itself first in economic strikes for better wages and conditions, as we have already seen in the past few years, and later as political strikes and demonstrations. The most urgent need now is to organize the workers and provide the movement with a coherent programme, policy and banner.

This can only be the red banner of socialism.”

The common assumption behind these kinds of infantile statements is that the Islamic Republic is a horrendous oppressive state, against whom any kind of protest is good. The overt reason for such an assumption can only be straight up Islamophobia – complete with orientalist imagery of the “mad mullah” waging a war against “freedom” (defined by the same leftists, of-course).

Even more problematic is what these leftists are supporting; Mousavi, and his movement to re-define Iran into a toothless nationalist republic, is backed by some of the most corrupt elements of the Iranian establishment. And they are located in the most affluent areas of Tehran. Whereas Ahmadinejad’s Islamic movement is located in the heart of every city, town, village’s working class districts.

Wittingly (for the most part) and (a few) unwittingly, the “western” left is, in essence, siding with the elite, upper classes, against the working class. Now, why are they supporting these elites – well, the twisted logic is that this has “politicized the Iranian people” and that civil strife of this kind is good, even if the cause they are supposedly fighting for is not real “fraud or no fraud”. This is like saying, that running towards a mirage is good, hey, at least you are running, it’ll get you energized. That is the kind of nonsense one would expect from those who engage in psyop destabilization, because their aim is to create a chaotic situation, and then swoop down and take the spoils.

This issue of “polticization” is yet another example of an outright racist attitude – the Iranian people are probably the most politically aware around (and the ones outside Tehran are the most aware). Just because the vast majority has not bought into western style secularism, does not mean they are not political. The opportunist left defines being “political” as being “socialist” or having a liberal-secular outlook.

The Islamic Republic has maintained strong links with its vast working class, and this has only gotten stronger under President Ahmadinejad. There may well be some disaffection with the government, specifically with regards to the economy, but anyone thinking that this is going to usher in secularism, socialism, or even a move in that direction, should cut down on any mind altering items that they may be consuming, and get back in touch with reality.

A couple of recent articles on Iran worth reading:

The Vineyard of the Saker: Insider report about the events in Iran:

Ahmedinijad is a person who lives simply, conducts himself without extravagance and is honest in his profession in every manner. Where as Mousavi is someone who is from the upper circles of the society and is seen as a part of the corrupt political elite.

Iran’s ‘Stolen’ Election: a Hardline Demagouge’s Victory Over a ‘Reformer’? Not So Fast

Why is there so little discussion of the issue of class in this election? Is it because so many professional and semi-professional commentators on Iran are themselves from the same class as Mousavi’s supporters, and so instinctively identify with them? Myself, I’m a worker, and a former union organizer. When I watched the videos and viewed the photos of the pro-Mousavi rallies in Tehran and other cities, I didn’t feel elated – I felt a chill. To me, this didn’t look like a liberal reform movement, it felt like a movement whose real target is a government that exercises a “preferential option for the poor,” to use the words of Christian liberation theology.

Tags: President Ahmadinejad