Liberterna's Comments (66)

“So two wrongs make a right?

Excellent logic, you must be a lawyer.

Personally I don't think of either Palestinians and Israelis, to me they both have blood on their hand I do not wish to associate with. Nor can I stop their anymosity towards each other.

But I can ask US to take care of US first and foremost.

Our involvement in this wretched conflict only empties our treasury to the tune of 3 billion to Israel, 2 billion to Egypt, 300 Million to the Palestinian Authority (the one we like Mahmoud Abbass's group) EVERY year.

And I have no idea what benefit we receive from any of it.

We shouldn't support any side in this. We will never be an honest broker in perception or reality, so we should back up and let a truly neutral power (brazil anyone?) take over the process should they wish to, or just let UN handle it as it might without our kneejerk pro_israeli veto.”

“Why 1900? go before that, when the British divided up Pashtunistan in the middle (now we call that region "the tribal area between Afghanistan and Pakistan"

stop deluding yourself

since there was "no choice" but to massacres the native Americans since it was "self evident" and "manifest destiny"

stop lying to yourself”

“No iranian will give up the right to all the rights afforded to the nation under the NPT (non profileration treaty)

Even if the most reformist got elected they'd be crazy to give up a national right just to make a hostile foreign power "feel safer" whatever that means.

Also, the government of Iran has already said that should their nuclear facilities get hit, they will retaliate by hitting the Damona nuclear reactor in Israel (the one that DOES NOT exist officially speaking) That's the stalemate this approach creates: it exposes our hypocracy in being totally OK with Israel (pre-emptively attacked everyone of her enemies so far) India and Pakistan (have fought each other 3 times with full scale military assault in the last 50 years) having nuclear weapons.

The nuclear issue is a dead end, if hillary hasn't realized the folly of her approach she's not as bright as advertised.”

“Ally?

In which war has Israel come to our aid? Or been of any use to the United States?

Please inform us of the fundamentals of the benefits US derives from our "alliance"”

“actually Iran doesn't export much dates, Pistachios and pomegranates are the main exports, and of course the golden export (the most valuable item per its weight) Saffron

Iran also has the second largest reserves of Natural Gas. Not to mention it is the only country in the middle east that has heavy industry, making tractors, buses, cars etc..

Not to mention burning oil is a huge waste since polymers and plastics can be extracted from the petroleum.

Economically we do not have a case there.

But by all means continue believing that we can change our consumption and bring them to their knees so they'll come begging for us to do business again. get over yourself.

Your assessment is childishly simplistic and off the mark.”

“I've been reading echos of this elsewhere as well.

Brazil has done really well and is seen by many in the world as an alternative to the US as a world broker.

We'll see how it turns out but, we need to get off our butts, can't live off "we're number 1" pep rallys any longer. And kick off all the old Cold Warrior out of the government, those are sick dangerous individuals.”

“Pashtunistan (the province) was divided in half by the British as a fronter zone thanks to the geography of the tall mountain ranges. At the time when Britain saw India as a permanent part of the her empire, this was akin to having a nice giant wall on your Northern frontier.

Of course Pashtuns have consistently rejected this crude division of their homeland.

The "lawless border between Pakistan and Afghanistan" we keep hearing about is indeed Pashtunistan or Pashtunland (if you wish to Anglify it) in the face of this perceived injustice we gulibly assume that they "should" care about 9/11 and Al-Qaida and therefore help us.

Of course to them we're a blink of history in their multi-generational struggle to get autonomy.

You have something there, Alleviating this festering discontent would remove a huge obstacle to stability.

I fear as a nation we may not have the muster or the expertise to pull such a feet though. We couldn't even save our own citizens from New Orleans rooftops, or get Health Care for our citizens (nice incentive for extra patriotism that doesn't need Pearl Harbor type events to flare up) This is not a criticism of Republicans or Democrats, we're a democracy and democracies are not very good at war, the longer a democracy fights, the more society changes till it makes sense to organize around a strong leader "who can get things done"”

“The problem with feeding the hungry in the third world is that once well fed they make more babies (agrarian societies value large families)

Let's teach them (if they wish to learn from us, and only if they want our help) how to grow food successfully.

And watch your porn to get aroused as it was intended, don't think about starving children while watching porn; that just seems wrong on so many levels!”

“I agree with the jist of your Article Mr. Pahlavi. As the former Crown Prince of Iran when it was a Monarchy you certainly have a role to play in the future of Iran should you choose to do so. (I assume you do since you are in the public eye)

Yet I must say that one weak point you have that creates doubt and hesitation regarding your motives is the seeming lack of any criticism about the policies and manner of governance of your late father's regime. After all it was a monarchy that was ruled dictatorially where the King remained involved in day to day operations of the country.

However well intentioned the Pahlavi Dynasty may have been, you must realize that the revolution against your father wasn't entirely mobilized by the clergy, there was a genuine discontent among the populace of which (we now know) your father had little knowledge due to the distance his royal court's advisers had put between him and the people of Iran.

Overall I must say I am please that you have not advocated a constitutional monarchy but rather a Republic, no kings no supreme leaders, that gives us hope that we may be closer to an Iran where no single human or political party has overwhelming control.”

“News Media lost any credibility with me a long time ago.

I'm glad to see the internet exposing the utter hypocracy and manipulations of the main stream media.

Their jig is up, now the powers that be have to figure out how to manipulate the New news media, watch them try to make deals with Google type companies to try to control the masses.

"The best way to rule a populace is to keep their stomachs full and their minds empty"

Tao's characterization in Gore Vidal's "Creation", don't know if the quote is Gore's or Tao's originally, but very true.”

“Thank you Melody, great article, and much needed analysis”

“"Instead, they found neighbors who were not reconciled to their living again together in this tiny piece of land the Jews have regarded as home for 4,000 years. How do you share a home with someone who says, "You have no right to be here"

That's the fundamental problem of Israel as a state. REGARDING a place as your home does not make it so. The European Jewry which forms the bulk of Israeli leaders aren't necessary semitic, they're Europeans who converted, the argument of "return" has no logical scientific merit since non can really prove where your ancestors lived.

So let's cut to the chase, European Jewry for reasons that are debated to death moved a lot of money, people, and weaponry to the then, British Occupied province of Palestine and once the Brits left the rest of the conflict became basic good old fashioned conquest. Jews conquered the Arab part.

Yet writers of this article miss the point that as a conquerer you have certain obligations under the current international norms (depriving water isn't one of them) which Israel ignores as they say they're dealing with "terrorists".

Either kill a conquered population, (which may have dire consequences nobody can predict), or assimilate them. Israel neither has the option of killing a couple of million civilians nor the wisdom or humanity to work to assimilate those whom they've conquered.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you wanna be a nation, then act like one.”

“nope, i usually disagree with you on most things major kong, but i'm a huge hudsucker's proxy fan, great movie, own it, and cherish it.”

“Great Article well written and to the point. You have new fan my dear melody.”

“that was the summary of the article?

wow

You should work for Cliff's notes.

LOL”

“How about as US Taxpayers (Israel's sugar-daddies) we demand that Israel be a state for All it's citizens regardless of race, creed or religion.

Is that too much to ask?”

“you have to feed the circle of racism somehow.

Keep em down, hungry and ignorant.

Wait for one to steal a loaf of bread then broadcast it non-stop then argue that they're inherently thieves and animals, obviously a lower class of human which out of pure necessity have to beaten and controlled to protect the rest of us "productive" members of society who weren't lazy and got themselves an education and lifted themselves by their bootstraps.

Sleep well at night knowing that god loves you.

'barf"”

“Very wise article.

Welcome to the sane world.”

“I don't wanna weigh in on a family's suffering.

But I do think that generally, the American Public is too sanitized to violence. And that's not healthy.

If we engage wars we shouldn't cower from their results. And try to distract ourselves.

These kids, our fellow citizens are dying, I understand why a father would want to keep his pain private. Yet I also think it's crucial that as a democratic society we don't stick our head in the sand at this crucial juncture in history.

There are things that are bigger than any one event and I generally welcome a more honest portrayal and discussion of the wars we're in. And we won't be able to do that, if our narration is sanitized like a comic book. Violence without blood, death without consequence and "good-guy" "bad-guy" portrayals don't work.”

“Aye, the President is underestimating his support and the backing of the non-loony Americans.

Please get medieval on their asses there's too much at stake.”

“indeed, Rachel Maddow's coverage of the Iranian revolution was by far the best on American Television networks.

She is truly a stellar journalist and an absolute gem.

I recommend her show to anyone.”

“"News came from grass roots sources making it almost impossible to verify the truth of anything that came out of Iran. As the news grew more complex, we needed something that was simple to understand."

our desire for simplicity in a complex world will be our downfall. Is anything more complex than a plot of a Michael bay movie cryptonite to Americans? I hope not. I hope you're underestimating our collective intelligence.”

“Excellent point by point rebuttal. Thank you for the clarity. And thank you for calling out the authors blatant racism.”

“Trust me, the secular Iranians find the double standard with israel and Brazil etc as unjust as the religious nuts do.

This is a broad issue.

I assure you a fully democratic Iran will still be MOST interested in bettering IRAN's lot in the region.

Not serve US or Israel's demands.

Iranians will not tolerate the double standard. If Pakistan (about to fall any minute into chaos) and Israel (the country who's attacked every single neighbor it has in a mere 50 years) can have nuclear weapons. Yet Iran can not even have an enrichment program, or they might learn stuff.”

“Don't forget the US congress and Senate have been "occupied territory" of the Israeli lobby for many many decades.

The cards are stacked, such is the way of the world, money buy power and power buys influence to do as you wish with little consequence.

You have to admire that about the Israeli lobby, convincing America to alienate 1 billion muslims in exchange for the right and the pleasure of supporting israel at the tune of billions of dollars per year forever.

I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think of this. his wisest words:

"Friendship is but another name for an alliance with the follies and the misfortunes of others. Our own share of miseries is sufficient: why enter then as volunteers into those of another? "
Thomas Jefferson”