The Corner

Reformists vs. Democrats in Iran

Many students upset at the continued demonization of the United States on  the occassion of the anniversary of the seizure of the U.S. embassy in Tehran chant “Obama, either us or them!“  Other slogans, provided by the Open Source Center, include:

“Ahmadinejad is a murderer and negotiations with him are null and void.”

“O Obama! Remember, Ahmadinejad is a murderer.”

“O Obama! O Obama! Are you with Mahmud or with us?”

Meanwhile, prominent reformist thinkers — loyalists to the regime who, by definition simply want a kindler, gentler theocracy rather than a democracy where sovereignty resides in the people rather than the Supreme Leader — are lining up to explain what a good thing the taking of American hostages was.

Michael Rubin is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, senior lecturer at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Civil-Military Relations, and a senior editor of the Middle East Quarterly.
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