Given that the majority of the country is being ruled by an iron fist minority does anyone else find themselves thinking that this will not be resolved internally?

Iran has popped the seals on their nuclear sites in total disregard to International will. Couple that with the amount of sneaky bs they apply to obtaining banned material and I wonder at when and not if they use their first set of nukes.

Fandros

The thing is, we've been assuming it will be solved by the younger generation for a couple of decades now.

As the younger generations gets older, won't a few of them desire power and see that hte easy way to get there is to go fundamental?

/agreed Mir. I think our past/recent assumptions of the younger crew softening their stance with us is showing wear.

I don't think economic sanctions would work well either. Assuming China and Russia won't back the sanctions methinks they'll be lil more than a paper tiger.

Fandros

Yeah cause sanctions always work :p

But anyways, one more country to put my boots down on.

Right, it'll only work if Russia and China agree to enforce sanctions, and if steps are in place to prevent Oil-for-Food levels of abuse. I think the younger generation and its sympathizers want to fight The Man, but they lack the structure and influence to overthrow the hardliners. I'm not so sure the rulers constitute a minority in the same way the Iraqi Sunni Baathists did; were that the case, I think the last generation may have seen changes.

The thing is, we've been assuming it will be solved by the younger generation for a couple of decades now.

As the younger generations gets older, won't a few of them desire power and see that hte easy way to get there is to go fundamental?

Couldnt agree with you more, Cuba is a good example. Evne if Castro dies, his brother or someone of equal "scum" will take over.

And there we have the inherent problems with an "Economic Sanctions" solution. Because some crooked asshole in the UN is bound to have his hands all over it even if we get the help of the Russians/Chinese.

Though war, while the idea of beating some Iranian ass is somewhat appealing, is definitely not top of the list for great ways to solve this.

Personally I think, if it comes down to sanctions, we should completely block all trade with the rest of the world and Iran, for oh say a month. and see how they like it. and then how cooperative they are without our money fueling their economy.

But then we kind of depend on their oil... if only we had our own natural reserve we could tap.... /cough

I think Isreal, back of course through us, will lay waiste to Iran before we step one U.S. foot on their tainted soil. Only solution I can forsee.

Honestly I'm hoping an EU led force , with US support as well, goes into Iran and wraps it up in a purdy lil bow. If we could get Russia and China to supply support I imagine Syria and North Korea would sit up and take notice!!


AhhHhhhh to dream!

Fandros

Has anyone watched World News Tonight? I usually hate it but they at least get around. The reporter was in Iran and interviewing the average citizen and pointed out how they are similiar to us. They like sports(and many other things of course), when asked about the US they liked us as well...just disappointed in both governments. Personally I hope we never invade that country. Things could change my opionion down the road but after watching that show made me think would be a bummer to carpet bomb his home.

Not sure on Russia. They may sit this one out in protest. Selling Nuk'ler "pieces" for the reactors is a sweet business deal for them.

Whether we go to war with Iran may be determined as much by Israel's actions as by the political contributions by the corporations making money off their business dealings with Iran.

Yeah, I am a cynic.

Yeah, it'd be a bummer to carpet bomb his home after his leaders have created a nuclear bomb against U.N. sanctions and used their personal terrorist organization, Hezbollah, to deliver it to Israel.

Don't knock the younger generation. They, or those I've met, certainly don't want to take over the reigns of power. They're just more pissed off at what happened to them and their families under the revolution.
Guy who lived in my flats at uni had his uncle and grandfather killed, as he was in the government at the time. He used to talk about it a lot, had a lot of nostalgic memories for the old Shah regime.
I don't see this as a Chinese thing, where the younger kiddies are happy and excited about the heads of their country.

You gotta be careful taking Iranian expatriots as typical of Iranians in general. The reason most of them are expatriots is because their families were pro-shah and they had to leave the country to stay alive. They are an extreme minority.

That being said, I personally think the younger generation would as soon join the rest of the world and get out from beneath the theocracy. Unfortunately, once an attack is made on Iran by anybody that attitude will change and they will rally around their government as nationalism kicks in.

You gotta be careful taking Iranian expatriots as typical of Iranians in general. The reason most of them are expatriots is because their families were pro-shah and they had to leave the country to stay alive. They are an extreme minority.

That being said, I personally think the younger generation would as soon join the rest of the world and get out from beneath the theocracy. Unfortunately, once an attack is made on Iran by anybody that attitude will change and they will rally around their government as nationalism kicks in.

A good friend of my brothers is Iranian. He and his family (father, brother, and later mother and sister) fled the country in the late 70s/early 80s. Oddly enough they are Jewish and not Muslim, which was one factor for leaving...they feared persecution because of their beliefs but that's a different topic. From conversations with him it seems that Iran has changed a great deal in the past 30 or so years and everything that you hear on the news isn't the whole picture.

Last time I visited them a couple years back, more of the family had made it over. They run a successful exotic lamp/rug business in and around Metro-Atlanta. If memory serves they have about 4 stores. Not all Iranians are bad.

America had a huge influx of Iranians in the late 70's early 80's during that ugly ugly agressive period of time. I can remember in High school biology the day/time that it was announced they, Iran, had taken our folks hostage.

Personally after 30 years I don't think we can count on the next great group of kids to rise up and despose this staunch group of folks.

Fandros

My understanding is that most Iranian immigrants are Persian. The Persian community in Iran is small and getting smaller. If you live in Iran and only speak Farsi you are SOL. Most of us who have "Iranian" friends most likely have Persian friends which is not a "random sample" of current Iranian culture.

After consulting with my Persian co worker, he informs me that the majority population of Iran are Persian who speak Farsi, but are Shiite Muslim. I would guess that the majority of Americans do not fully understand Iranians (like myself). I would assume that they think of them as Arabs, all lumped together with Afghanis and Iraqis. Hey, a unified enemy is easier to demonize right?

My understanding is that most Iranian immigrants are Persian. The Persian community in Iran is small and getting smaller. If you live in Iran and only speak Farsi you are SOL. Most of us who have "Iranian" friends most likely have Persian friends which is not a "random sample" of current Iranian culture.

After consulting with my Persian co worker, he informs me that the majority population of Iran are Persian who speak Farsi, but are Shiite Muslim. I would guess that the majority of Americans do not fully understand Iranians (like myself). I would assume that they think of them as Arabs, all lumped together with Afghanis and Iraqis. Hey, a unified enemy is easier to demonize right?

This (http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Iran/persia_or_iran.htm) is the best explanation I could find of the relation.