I’m fascinated with what I’m seeing happening in Iran right now. It’s beautiful to see people standing up for democracy and doing it in a peaceful manner. I also find it notable that many of the people demonstrating in the streets were not alive during the Islamic Revolution of 1979. They do not remember the oppressive Shah or the Ayatollah Khomeini. More importantly, in spite of what their government tells them they’ve never had any real reason to hate America. Indeed, many just want their freedom and friendship like their neighbors in Europe.
Even so, I’m still wary because of what happened in China twenty years ago this month. Could it happen to Tehran?
And there’s the fact that Iran is a republic in name only, as a small, unelected, powerful few actually rule.