Walrus Magazine: Iran's Quiet Revolution

Walrus Magazine is one of my favorite magazines, for a variety of reasons. Even if you're not Canadian, I'd recommend it. Just having the view of international affairs from outside the high walls of American media, but without a lot of the sins of the BBC or The Economist, makes it worthwhile.

I'm not sure of its newstand availability, but it's worth the subscription for both print and online (although they should smarten up and open up their online archive after a certain date). My focus this month in on a pretty great article about the state of Iran by a journalist who recently visited.

Anyone who's somehow fallen for the hype -- completely forgotten the pro-US demonstrations in Iran after 9/11, how Iran aided us in prosecuting the war against the Taliban -- and now believes Iran is seething expansionist Islamofascist state chock-a-bloc with suicide bombers and Imams should read this.

If there is one new law of warfare we desperately need our Dear Leaders to understand, it is this:

Law of Modern Warfare #001: When you bomb people for their own good, they never, ever get your point in the way you hope.

Bomb Iran, and you unite the entire nation behind the nationalist strongmen who are just waiting for the moment we hand them the rallying cry. We already helped unseat the moderate President with the whole "Axis of Evil" idiocy. This would be the cherry on the Idiot Cake.

Let's even ignore, for a second, what'll happen to our supply lines in Iraq. And if you bomb Iran, and our troops get cut off in Iraq, I will indeed say "I told you so." Except I'll be in the Rose Garden with a fucking torch when I do so. Fair warning.

Rember the Soviet Union. Remember East Germany. Let the bosses rot in corruption, keep selling the kids jeans, cell phones and dreams of financial success until those trends collide. I know it doesn't stoke your need for a Grand Metaphor and Engorging Struggle for Liberty, but it's how we win. For chrissake, I'm only asking that you be as internationally engaging as REAGAN. Could you do that? Please?





(Oh, and Global Guerrillas is kind of mandatory right now. At least his recent summary on the state of war.)