Are we watching history in the making in Iran?
Barrio Siete folks, look! Tehran is like Manila in 1986 less the violence. When you have this many people demonstrating about the outcome of a Presidential election, one could only ask if indeed there was any fair election at all in Iran. When Mousavi said that he was ready to die and be a martyr, the more it energized his supporters to really take to the streets. Some reports have it that the death toll is now as high as 150 on the seventh day of post-election protests, right after Ahmadinejad won a landslide in a disputed election. I read that one Tehran hospital confirmed 19 deaths Saturday.
Photo Credits: AFP/Getty Images
The Philippine Connection
There’s an obvious similarity of what is happening in Tehran right now with what happened in Manila in 1986. Four days after Marcos was reelected in a ridiculously rigged election, he was out. Seven days after Ahmadinejad was reelected in Iran, he is still in power and the streets of Tehran is in chaos. What’s the difference? In the Philippines, the Church rallied his people and proclaimed that the election of Marcos was a sham. In Tehran, the Ayatollah proclaimed that the election was genuine. His people did not believe him.
Yet, I cannot contain my apprehensive excitement, I have been glued to the monitor on my computer scanning every available news coming from Iran. Sometimes it makes me wonder if what’s going on in Iran is a prelude to what’s going to happen come 2010 Presidential Elections in the Philippines.
Was there an Obama Connection?
I remember Barack Obama coming to Philadelphia and I still remember his speech then, when he talked about tolerance. Tolerance on differences and embracing it. He was giving a picture of what America is. If you have seen the President at the recent Radio and TV Correspondent’s Dinner in Washington DC, he is a really good speaker. He was delivering jokes. And that was him. Casual, uncanny. He is very comfortable in speaking to any group.
Just a few weeks ago, he was in Cairo, he was speaking about the concerns of Palestinians, Israelis, Christians, Muslim-Americans, Iraqi and Afghanis. Consider this, most of his quotes were lifted and/or coming from the Holy Quran. The Muslim World embraced that speech and his speech was well published in much of the Muslim World.
I can’t help but notice if there was a connection with what’s going on in Iran with President Obama’s extending an open hand to Iran. Were the statements he made fueled the desires of Iranians for a meaningful change in their country? Or have they just witnessed the dirtiest election ever? I doubt if we will know.
I am still glued to all these going on in Iran. I may not know the true meaning of this election protest. I may not know how deep the fire is on the heart of these Iranians. But are we witnessing history in the making in Iran?
I simply wish World Peace in Iran.
Pictures: Terror in Iran
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Capitana – Iran is really getting a lot of attention more so these days and America is trying to reach out in friendlier manner compared with the previous Bush admin who classified the country as one “axis of evil”. American democratic ideals, very much alive under the charismatic Obama of course has its global interest of trying to sound off Iran’s “nuclear program” for the sake of world peace. But Iran is Iran, home to extreme Islamic fundamentalism pervading every fiber of its social life.Less likely, will it listen to America or Obama because of this fundamental difference between Islamic fundamentalism and the ideals of democracy.This is indeed a steep challenge even for the diversity-leaning Obama – where and how to find some middleground or diplomatic ground between these 2 fundamental political commitments.
dFish,
i prefer the engagement that Obama is doing versus what Dubya has done. Look where we are now with with what he has done or the lack of it. true, these extreme islamic fundamentalists will continue to be america’s problem, but set that aside, i believe Obama has more chances of making things happen rather that Dubya.
I totally agree with this take of Reynz
Bush is Paranoid. Actually if one would just analyze, bush is a racist. He thinks all arabs and moslems are terrorists.
Isn’t it interesting that the Pope and Obama reached out to the moslem world one month apart? They are trying to heal the division and I totally like their action.
Anong Bush is paranoid?
Baka Georgie Bush is a lameduck and stupid president.
Not to mention warmonger pa.
Definitely, Obama has a more tempered approach than Dubya, less than a tooth-for-a-tooth pragmatic approach. Parang si Benign0 lang hehe, you don’t really have to pull a teeth out of the universe to bank on the fundamentalists’ problem. The playful side of Obama – this is one endearing quality of him i adore. I agree – his approach and his call for Iran to “unclench its fist” – more likely to relax Iran’s political heat.
I’m telling you social climbing works! That’s what he did in Cairo when he lifted his quotes from the Holy Quran. It endeared him to the Muslims and he has to bank on that given his charisma. It’s gonna be pretty interesting how this unfolds for he seemed to be the only President so far that is admired in that part of the globe. I mean the extremists will be the extremists and will be tough on him.
Hope is still hope and when majority of Americans cast their hope on Obama, it was an honorable hope i assume. A few may criticize after 100 days, the pre-election messianic tag scaling off before their eyes. But such messianism was very unrealistic considering that Obama inherited heavyweight American economic and political fallout. Obama, I believe remains the right leader for the kind of global problems hounding humanity, especially Islamic extremism morphing into terrorism. Obama,charismatic as he is can quote the Holy Quran and when he does, i believe it is not only out of gathering global nods, but in sincerity, is advancing the pluses of diversity and inter-cultural respect.
well Bill Clinton also banked on Hope heheh but the pre-election messianic tag that was given to Obama was uber and i for one don’t believe that, he is charismatic, he is a good speaker, combine those two and that will certainly endear you to your audience.
(kagigizing lang @ nagkakape)6:49am New Orleans time
!! ba’t nakapang-opisina ako dyan?! anong nangyari?! hahaha!
gudmorning kamahalan
gduafternun naman from dubai 4pm na dito
masaya ang araw ko dencios sa pagbati mo. (softly spoken yong word ha?)
hehehe
Hahaha, I remember Bill during the campaign, challenging Obama to “Chill out!” Way, way applicable an advise for short-tempered Iranians, hahaha.
Trouble with the Edsa 1 “revolution” is that it disenfranchised non-Catholics when some bright boys put up a big Catholic icon at the intersection of Edsa and Ortigas and called it the Edsa Memorial “Shrine”.
The Philippine “revolution” was a battle against just a specific person. The Iran revolution it seems is a battle against an entire system encompassing both political leadership and a tyrannical theocracy.
In the Philippines, the “revolution” transpired but the same oligarchy is still entrenched and the same Church rules over ignorant masses — preaching anti-contraception and propagating a bahala-na ethic in a people renowned for their lack of inherent self-reliance.
Whereas the Philippine revolution was a pwede-na-yan “revolution”, the Iranian version is one that is looking for real change or bust.
There is no comparison between the two.
@benigno,
i’m not sure how your comparison figured in with mine…
if your talking about the “similarity” i said in my entry…
i was talking about moral authority of the church in the philippines at that time in 1986 VS. the moral authority of the Ayatollah today in Iran
From what I have read: “the Islamic Republic is more democratic than most other nations in the Middle East — that’s why millions of Iranians are on the streets demanding that their votes be counted.”
(Source: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1905910_1905908,00.html)
I may not know if your statement on tyrannical theocracy is true (in terms of what’s driving these Iranians to the streets other than what they know that they were fooled by the election of Ahmadinejad) but between what I read and yours i prefer the latter. But that’s your opinion.
All i know is that, given what I am seeing, their wanting is no difference from what the rest of us wants. A change.
Ambabaw! Hahaha! Was that the ONLY problem or Was IT the real problem? Will putting a mosque solve the problem? Or for the atheist a badminton court?
“Trouble with the Edsa 1 “revolution” is that it disenfranchised non-Catholics when some bright boys put up a big Catholic icon at the intersection of Edsa and Ortigas and called it the Edsa Memorial “Shrine”.”
How disenfranchised Benigs? Is it to the point of denigrating them in favor of the political gains that EDSA proffer? Statue or no statue – EDSA 1 was a victory for Filipinos. The problem is we have not capitalized on our gains and instead revert to the old system of patronage and political dynasty. So what’s up with the Shrine when the root of the problem is not banking on the lessons of EDSA 1?
The “Shrine issue” – sounds trivial to me, again, a chicken and egg philosophical nonsense…
“The Philippine “revolution” was a battle against just a specific person.”
I beg to disagree over this myopic take on this part of Philippine history: Marcos was the system personified.It’s much easier to fight an evil with a “real effigy,” ain’t it, than grope in the darkness of an amorphous system.
“the Iranian version is one that is looking for real change or bust.”
Again, this is an unqualified, too sweeping to the point of ignorant an outlook on the current Iranian impasse. Not until a radical change on Islamic fundamentalism and how oppressive it is especially for the disenfranchized Muslim women is marshalled, not even a change of political leadership could be considered a real change or bust for this country. You mentioned theocracy at the hands of a power-hungry patriarchal system – there’s the clue and needless you beat around the bush on what’s the essential problematique.
Typical.
Yes, the perception was that Marcos was “the system personified”. But when he was removed, did anything change in Pinoy society at a fudamental level?
You can see it even today into this whole oust-Gloria thing. The pitch of the “opposition” to the masses is that she embodies everything that is wrong in the Government. So naturally the masses will see her removal as the silver bullet that will cure everything.
The fact is, all those things Arroyo is being blamed for — corruption, unemployment, poverty, injustice, etc. — have been around and prevail in Pinoy society regardless of who is sitting in Malacanan.
@benign-no,
and so marcos was “the system personified” and gloria was “the system personified” now in the worse level therefore business as usual after the 2010 election according to you..
i know what you want and or saying… you’re pushing for a revolution. what kind of revolution you have in mind? green revolution?
Hahaha – here’s your argument again: “The Philippine “revolution” was a battle against just a specific person.”
Now, here’s the revision:
You want to convince the masses that the more intelligent diagnosis of the Philippine decadence is actually systemic (my argument) rather than personal. So, where does Benign0 exactly stand?
Yes it was a battle against a specific person in practice. But my assertion is that the whole problem with governance in the Philippines is one that is systemic.
So my point is: the solution fixed the symptom and not the problem.
It’s simple, really™
@benign-no,
if it’s that simple, granted for the sake of argument that indeed it is systemic – and therefore no blame for the Arroyo’s the Marcoses the Pidals the Estradas… tell us day mayti… how’d you approach presenting some changes?
Ang bagal mong tumagay pre. Sige, at may hahabulin pa akong meeting sa isang Asosasyon.
Yours truly,
Dfish
Treasurer – Brgy.Uno Yayo and Yaya Association
Stidi ka lang dyan.
Unlike you, I don’t sit around all day hitting the “refresh” button on my browser.
Get a life.
There goes the heckler, the online bully. You don’t even know me and what I do, do you? Hahaha – certified quack debater. I’ve been disagreeing from your points of view and not your character and now it’s clear you can’t even sustain a decent debate and yet ambitiously wants to overhaul the whole system. I’m shaking the dust off my feet little ambitious boy. FU BS-style!
sabi ko naman sayo dfish ignore button lang yan. You can hit his ego more if you’ll just ignore the charlatan.
His balls are in his head. Its much easier to crush it there rather than between the legs LOL
UHAW yan sa kausap at wala na yan mapuntahan. LOL
what a pity
Bluep, sinung my sabing my balls si benign0? since when?lol
Asus naman…
My preciouuuusssss…..
Need mo lang si Sadako sa tabi mo para siya ang magrefresh ng page mo…
wow, nice to have you here malign0 este benign0, im a big fan of yours (dawn is da neym) coffee? we have kapeng barako en binusang bigas here how bout that? how you came here? using karitela with matching bota? really nice to see you here…BWAHAHAHAHAHA
hindi makahinga ang dioniscio sa mga comments, puro ingles. haha.
Sinabi mo pa dencios.
Pagdating dito sa barrio, I seldom use my high falutin ENGRISH.
Too bad you feel that way, dude. I don’t know what your standards of “decent debate” are but from where I come from, ending it with a “FU BS-style” is not part of it.
As to who you are or what you do, obviously you are somebody and do something. Then again, maybe not, considering that you sit around clicking on the ‘Refresh’ button all day long.
Yeah. Ignoring “problems” has always been a good solution, right Mr. Argumentation Policeman?
Psst! Istidi lang kayo! me nag-babasa dito! hahaha!
meron ba? hahaha hindi ko alam kala ko tayo tayo lang. Andito pala si Gollum hahahaha
my Precioooouuuuussssss…… LOL
Frankly, I don’t know. The evidence lies mainly in the consistent failure of the current approach being taken to reform the government. And given that I’ve been asserting that the problem has to do with the inherent character of our society, this consistency in the way things have turned out over the last nine years has so far been consistent with this assertion.
So the only conclusion so far is that the culture-as-problem hypothesis is so far supported by evidence that political solutions do not result in deep change; which is why I take issue with this whole tunnel-visioned oust-the-president thing.
There is something about our collective character as a people that consistently undermines any kind of political solution implemented. It’s an issue way under the radar of most self-described “activists” and political “experts”.
Even companies (the good ones at least) get seriously serious about their respective corporate cultures before even getting serious about implementing groundbreaking change.
Frankly, I don’t know.
PRECISELY my point, of why Barrio Siete is uniquely different from kaVilang Varrio because we just don’t argue, we present alternative and/or possible avenue of reasonable change. I won’t apologize but the systemic problem of kaVilang Varrio is mutiny in “ihi” category where pataasan kayo.
I may shallowly agree to some points that in part the problem could be systemic but you still have to take out the cancer – i’m no doctor but am pretty sure they’ll agree with me rather than itaob ang buong bangka.
Here:
you are talking about leadership, mission and vision. whereas the sitting president has a vision of pushing Pinas in 2010 to be a 1st class country – the leadership is missing – that i don’t have to elaborate.
but one need nevah lose hope and so therefore, bluep actually had some pretty reasonable starting points where to effect the change because what i read from your mind (and i might be wrong) of a change that’s more like “Chairman Mao’s” is not acceptable… even if nagmimistulang Chairman Glo na ang nakaupo
To give credit to this forum, RE, this is the first time I’ve given an answer of “I don’t know” to anyone.
Reynz, utang na loob pa natin? hahaha
naknampucha hahahaha
My Preciooooouuuuuusssssssssssss! haha
Mast Hab Da Rennnggggggggg……
Sawron’s rennnngggggg…..
True. Aspiring to change and taking steps to do it is the easy part.
Defining exactly what one wants to change into seems to be the real challenge at hand.
Ha ha! Guilty as charged. Everyone has an agenda…
Nah, not a moque nor a church. Any memorial should focus on commemorating the ideas that underpinned the 1986 “revolution” and not the religions of whoever participated in it.
Kaya nga ang hirap sa iba dyan ngawa ng ngawa feeling intellectual wala naman palang alam na solution. hahahahahaha pa-arbitrary arbitrary pa eh engot din naman pala hahaha
Buti pa ako may plataporma. hahahaha
yan kasi ang napapala ng taratitat. ang alam lang ngumawa pagdating na sa solution wala na masabi.
Typical! hahahaha
Ang mag react guilty hahaha
Taratitat?
Parang kasing ingay ng pato yan ah…
O baka mas maingay pa? What do you think?
remember nung panahon ng mga Shah? Iran was run by royals, supported by europe. nagkaroon lang ng treason kaya nagkaganun ang pamamalakad. As I see it, sawa na ang mga tao nila sa ganung style, they dont benefit from it, at malaki ang impluwensyang united states, pero sana this time, wag na mag-meddle ang u.s.
“pero sana this time, wag na mag-meddle ang u.s.”
ipanalangin mo sa tuko hahaha! lalo pa ngayong armas nuclear ang habol nang Iran? unfortunately di mangyayari yan kapatid
Basahin nyo to: akala ko me alam na ako sa Iran, tipong kulang ang nabasa ko sa Time:
They’re the most feared men on the streets of Iran.
The pro-government Basij militia has held back its full fury during this week’s street demonstrations. But witnesses say the force has unleashed its violence in shadowy nighttime raids, attacking suspected opposition sympathizers with axes, daggers, sticks and other crude weapons.
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/06/19/2949306-feared-basij-militia-could-transform-iran-showdown
Balita ko nagkaroon na sila ng night raids. Inisa isa nila ang mga bahay dun.
yes they have indeed conducted a house to house search, nabasa ko sa CNN
Guess again. You’ve got what amounts to nothing more than a wish list
I on the other hand have a solution framework which you can check out here.
Happy reading Mr. “Argumentation Policeman”.
How do you guys end your comments here? Oh yes: “hahahaha”.
im loving it benogn0, if you just have the balls (meron ba?) you will like what i will do to it— that is “IF you have the balls” but sorry to say i dont think you have it, hmmm–
To All Barrio Folks:
why would I even READ a blog which needs traffic desperately? LOL
I dont read splogs LOL Linkbaiting! LOl
As with the principle regarding waving a gun around, Mr. “Argumentation Policeman”:
Don’t wave around your “ignore button” unless you intend to really use it.
You never know when you’ll come across someone simply too irresistible to ignore.
And as for this:
Well, that kinda explains why you make a few uninformed judgments here.
“hahahaha”
(when in Rome, do as the Romans, right?)
-
Ooopps I stand corrected, its not Linkbaiting, It’s SPAMMING hahaha
MGa barrio peeps, easy easy lang. Mga puso ninyo mainit pa naman panahon ngayon..
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