In post revolution Iran, “Namaz Jome”, or the Friday Prayer has become a major regime rally with significant political undertones. Held in every village, town, and city across the country, and supported by incessant and angry chanting by high ranking officials and regime supporters in attendance, the chief Imams uniformly double down on regime’s animosities towards America and anyone else who seemingly harbors a hint of opposition towards their policies.
Trump rallies these days bear striking resemblance to these events. Angry, mindless people harboring an incomprehensible (at least in my mind) hate, chanting “send her back” and “lock her up” to support the president’s animosity towards his opponents. Their eyes popping out of their sockets, their mouths foaming, and their brains absent while on leave.
Trump’s propaganda machine seems to have taken a page directly out of the playbook of regimes that America has loathed and opposed over the years.
One of benefits of having lived in different countries across the globe is that it gives one a broader perspective and an ability to compare and contrast your observations of events.
The revolution in Iran happened mainly because simple-minded and gullible Iranians looking for a simple “quick-fix” solution to their complex problems fell victim to an opportunistic propaganda machine that were pioneers in what is now known as hate mongering and fake news campaigns. They took the lies for facts, toppled the Imperial regime, and gave the reigns of what at minimum could be considered a developing middle eastern nation to its lowest social class and thus ensuring decades of division, turmoil, and chaos that is still in play today.
Like several generation of Iranians after the revolution, the future generations of Americans will regret the Trump era experience in an abundance of shame. It has happened during the American history and every other nation that flirted with right-wing doctrines.
When common sense and solidarity give way to hate and division, the nation as a whole will irreparably suffer. And when it’s all over and the ruling class have benefitted from the madness and filled their pockets, no one will admit having supported it.
Ironically, today’s America has become an eerily reminder of the country that I have left in search of sanity and rule of law.
The only hope remaining is that civil institutions and voices of reason of this great country will eventually prevail and curtail the damage.
I hope that majority of Americans will eventually prove to be smarter than the revolutionary generation of Iranians and see this tidal wave for what it is; an opportunist attempt by an egocentric individual who’s taking advantage of their insecurities to sell them rhetoric and personal agenda in place of sustainable solutions.
Trump supporters, mainly white, are protesting what they believe is the invasion of their "American Institution" by others. Those in Iran chanting along with a bunch of cockroach clergy are in a different category since if things were to change tomorrow in Iran, the same folks will be chanting with those who replaced the mullahs. In America, we have checks and balances, we have whistle blowers and people who want to do the right thing. In Iran, even if we have a few decent folks who want to do the right thing, they are overwhelmed by corruption, deceit and the good old "what's in it for me" mentality. In short, Iran is on her way to becoming even more irrelevant on the world stage.
Sad for a people who are talented and smart with a lot of potential if it weren't for their other significant shortcomings!
Ex_Cop, I certainly hope that you're right and the checks and balances and other mechanisms of democratic safeguard would eventually prevail. Any system however is as good as the people who operate it. Every week we see yet another norm of American Institution under assault with little protest from the governing party and ineffective protest from the opposing one. These are deliberate attemps at chippng away from that very system that protects our democracy, one stroke of a chisel at a time.
I don't believe there is much material difference (aesthetic dissferences, I agree) between folks who support Trump and the folks supporting the regime in Iran. The "what's in it" factor is the dominant force for both, i.e., "America First" and "Make America Great Again"!
I also don't completely agree with your assesment of Iranian people vs Americans. Iranians, while having several shortcomings stemming from their difficult history, given the right platform and system, can flourish. There are many examples of that in Iranian diaspora. Then again, I'm an optimist.
" I certain hope... democracy prevail"..
That was very funny. You don't allow other express their opinions and talking about democracy. What part of democracy say to delete other peoples' commonet ? Opinion doesn't kill anyone, bullet does.