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[Aqizzar]

Fine, sorry, so you know what you're talking about and just wanted to be cynical.  I was writing that block of text as much for anyone who was curious.  Don't jump all over me for it.

But any political science student can tell you this is great news for the incumbent government and the clerics. They just have to sit back, stall for time. Chances are the protesters will do something stupid, and ruin everything. It always happens. With millions of people, all it takes is one person losing their cool and shooting somebody and their cause goes three ways to hell. If they formed a military coup (which they can't do), they'd again look like the badguys who took control by force. They can't do anything.

This is still wrong anyway.  Behold the Orange Revolution, a largely similar case of an entrenched, corrupt political organization being ousted by popular, peaceful protest, with no hiccups or overrun.  Yes in fact, protest can work, and depending on what Mousavi does over the next day or two, there's no reason why Iran's won't.

As long as we're having a Internet dick-waving fight - I didn't just read some blurb off Wikipedia about Iran's politics.  I've studied Iran's history and economics quite a bit, and anyone else who has can see (as I'm surprised you apparently won't) that all the same seeds, impetus, and tactics of the original revolution are playing out again.  Sure, there will probably be violence as there already has.  One bad apple doesn't turn the populace or the world against any moderates vs. establishment challenge.

[umiman]

Geez, you really are petty. If you believe yourself to be as well educated as you are, stop calling out people as just having read Wikipedia articles. Besides, I just said I don't care. I stated my opinion, one which was so unfair as to be different from yours. If you're as educated as you claim to be about Iran, then you really shouldn't have found that too hard to believe, no?

I stand by my belief that the revolutionists are going to fail. Since it's obvious I cannot convince you of this fact in the same way that you cannot convince an anti-abortionist to be abortionist, I'm really not going to try to do so any further.

[Grek]

Khamenei just basically insured he and Dinner Jacket are going to get thrown out of power.  Montazeri and Mousavi are going to be the new leaders, assuming Khamenei doesn't go totally batshit insane and start directly ordering the Basij to go around shooting people instead of doing the stupid "Don't blame the Basij, it's the protester's fault! the Basij are just defending themselves from violent Zionists!" act he's doing now.

[Toady One]

To the many people here having difficulty, is it that hard to show respect when you're having a discussion?  Please pause before you compose a reply and make sure you've let a feeling of circumspection wash over you.

Then, before you post the reply, ask yourself if you would say this face to face to the person to which you are replying.

Even if the answer is yes, then continue and ask yourself if you'd say this face to face to a person on the yard of a maximum security penitentiary, assuming first that the topic came up in polite conversation, so that it wouldn't be something odd to mention.

Although these tests are certainly not infallible and there are some edge cases, if you answer "no" or especially "uh, hell no" to either of these questions, please consider revisiting your reply before you post it.  You could be showing a lack of respect, though it's not a foregone conclusion.

[Il Palazzo]

<=

and just so you know, I support those people, because what's happening there reminds me of Solidarity movement in Poland.

[Aqizzar]

I could write a book on the irony of self-identification with Adolf Cartman, then slapping on a green armband over the Nazi one in support of popular protest against a corrupt autocracy.

You just made my morning.

[Il Palazzo]

I thought you might like it. I even considered giving him an armband on the other arm for extra appeal.

[Yanlin]

I have to stand with Aqizzar here. Umiman, you're just being a douche.

Also, here's that avatar you wanted. One minute of tweaking with color overlay.

[Aqizzar]

So Ben looks like the unhappiest man at a St. Patrick's Day parade, but it's still great.

[Yanlin]

Well you said green beard and you got a green beard. Since it's a 5 o'clock shadow, I made it slightly lighter green than the armbands.

Looks like I missed a spot under his ear. Let me fix it.

[Ampersand]

So Ben looks like the unhappiest man at a St. Patrick's Day parade, but it's still great.

I almost spat my morning coffee out at that.

[Yanlin]

I hope you're not going to ditch this avatar just like the last one I made you.

[Aqizzar]

I ditched that one because you wouldn't make the panic delay long enough, and I didn't know how to change it.

I didn't plan on keeping this avatar longer than it takes for Mousavi to be seated as President.  But hey, you never know how long that might take.

[Il Palazzo]

<=

How's he now?

[Ampersand]

Now he looks more like Mahmoud Ahmadinawhatsit