US money for democracy in Iran

An article appeared on The Washington Post web site regarding the possible US aid to the democratic movement in Iran and it reminded me of the discussions I have had with number of leftist Iranians living in exile telling me that this sort of aid will only alienate the democratic forces inside of Iran and will let the mullahs accuse them of having ties with the Great Satan.

I totally disagree with this defeatist mindset as I do believe that freedom has its own price and if we want it, then we have to pay the price for it as much as possible.

Mullahs of Iran have been accusing every one, of having ties with the western powers with or without the money, ties or any sort of relation with the foreign governments. This is their favorite tactic and we should do our own job no matter what their false accusations are.

Our goal should be to see a democratic and free Iran and of course clerics will oppose this as much as they can and we, as opposition, should do our best to achieve our own goal.

It is important to mention that most of these leftists have no idea about the prospect of a nuclear armed mullahcracy in the middle east and their defeatism is not due to their cowardice, but it is due to their nature and beliefs.

These leftists are unaware of that this money (which is still so little to do good enough) will go to foreign broadcasting services such as VOA Persian or Radio Farda which are very popular in Iran and are the key elements to give Iranian people another side of the story they have no chance to hear about.

Iranian people are under constant media brainwashing of a religious regime which is trying to impose its own version of story on the people.

Indeed, like I have always said, EDUCATION is one of the major factors to liberate Iran from the rule of tyranny and fortunately VOA TV & Radio services provide this to the ordinary Iranians in a fair manner.

Once again, I have to mention that these left minded Iranians have not made up their minds if they still want to see the regime to stay in power or not.

And I do understand why they are unwilling to shake hands with the Uncle Sam because they are leftists and socialist minded people who have been students of the class of the Tudeh party of Iran for too long.

They accept the Dutch government money for an online journal like Rooz Online but they take it as a disgrace to accept the money of the Americans.

The reason is just as obvious as one may imagine. It is all about US bashing first and foremost but this is not a time to play this out dated invalid anti-US card any more.

They seem not to understand that the American money and media aid helped free the soviet ruled bloc of Europe in 1980s.

They seem to forget that it was the US support and pressure which helped Ukraine and Georgia to become democratic. And they should remember that no one can talk on behalf of the majority of Iranians. Most Iranians wish to see the clerical establishment to be gone completely and replace that with a democratic and freely elected type of government, be it the constitutional monarchy or a secular republic.

And they also do not remember that without international pressure on the mullahcracy, the Iranian society could become a tough police state like 1980s and more dissidents would have been dying in the hands of the clerical regime.

So thanks to the pressure of the international community, people like Akbar Ganji can remain alive in prisons of the Islamic government.

I believe once these conspiracy theory lovers come to their senses and make their minds up and leave their sickening theories behind, it will be easy for them to accept the reality and join the mainstream Iranian society which has no desire other than removing the clerical regime.