The reason why democracy will fail in Iraq: The people did not demand it. Iran, however, has a chance of getting it, if they can keep this up. I have high hopes for them.
Democracy is not purely something to achieve. It's not a noun it's a verb. Democracy is a verb, an organized action as a means to an end. The word democracy has been sloganized and propagandized just like socialism, communism, and fascism. The words have lost their meaning. Like the 'war on terrorism'. Terrorism is a verb, how can you have a war on a verb...a war on an action...a war on a tactic... Anyway... my point is that if you want a government that reflects the peoples' interests that is what the democratic process is supposed to achieve. A question to be asked is...is your government representing the interests of the population as a whole?
And lets hope some nation-building superpower doesn't do it in for oil interests.
>> ^MaxWilder: The reason why democracy will fail in Iraq: The people did not demand it. Iran, however, has a chance of getting it, if they can keep this up. I have high hopes for them.
It's a shame there aren't more videos in the top list; there certainly are plenty available. There have been two so far, though; a Chris Matthews clip, and a riot.
Iran did have a parliamentary democracy; the US overthrew this government in 1953. A good history of this subversion is in the book "All the Shah's Men" by Steve Kinzer.
>> ^MaxWilder: The reason why democracy will fail in Iraq: The people did not demand it.
I don't think B follows A in that statement. I'm not positive the democratic Iraqi state will succeed or persist in its current form, but it's premature to predict its failure based only on the difference between "demanding" democracy and eagerly accepting it.
^ I like the way we're insulting brave people risking their lives for their unsteady camerawork.
After seeing the way the iranians have held themselves and acted, i wish i lived there. From what i've seen, i fit in better there than i do here in england. The majority of people here make me feel sick. The people in these videos make me feel inspired...put my faith back in the human race.
While us highly evolved and highly civilised people in the western world are busy letting our governments walk all over us because we're too apathetic to leave our television sets and get our fat overfed arses into the streets to stand up for ourselves. And knifing (england) / shooting (america) each other over the most petty bullshit you've ever heard, treating our fellow human beings like dirt...... Oh and we're also very busy climbing all over each other to try and get a bit further up the proverbial ladder.
I lost my train of thought. Oh yeah... whilst we're busy doing all that ^, the iranians are out there peacefully and nicely letting "the elite" know who's really in charge, whilst treating their fellow human beings like the brothers and sisters they are. God damn i'm jealous.
The most striking part of this video is the audio. There's no yelling and no violence... just people walking down the street peacefully.
The government can't label them extremists or mobs so they can't justify aggressive action against them. Last night Anderson Cooper said it appears that there are police protecting the demonstrators from the republican guard. This really is an amazing situation on many levels.
Yeah, here in america the police would be fighting with the feds over who gets to fire the first teargas/rubber bullets/taser.
>> ^Psychologic: The most striking part of this video is the audio. There's no yelling and no violence... just people walking down the street peacefully.
The government can't label them extremists or mobs so they can't justify aggressive action against them. Last night Anderson Cooper said it appears that there are police protecting the demonstrators from the republican guard. This really is an amazing situation on many levels.
I hope you do all know that those people are followers of Mussawi. It's not like he's the modern, progressive, pro-western type of guy. First of all he's just the lesser of two evils and don't forget the real power in Iran isn't the elected government but the Ayatollah, who is not elected but chosen by a group of Mullahs and stays in power until he dies.
The thing here is that there may have been manipulations in the election. That's a terrible thing and i hope those are uncovered. But even if so and if Mussawi is put in power, not much will change. There will NOT by any means be a change of course in the Iran like many seem to think.
>> ^conan: I hope you do all know that those people are followers of Mussawi. It's not like he's the modern, progressive, pro-western type of guy. First of all he's just the lesser of two evils and don't forget the real power in Iran isn't the elected government but the Ayatollah, who is not elected but chosen by a group of Mullahs and stays in power until he dies.
The thing here is that there may have been manipulations in the election. That's a terrible thing and i hope those are uncovered. But even if so and if Mussawi is put in power, not much will change. There will NOT by any means be a change of course in the Iran like many seem to think.
Pro-western or patsy? Remember this is a country that remembers very, very well how the US overthrew their democratically elected government in 1953. Also in 2007, the US approved 400 million for funding covert operations aimed at Iranian regime change. Pro-western is too much to ask. I think settling for not anti-western would be acceptable.
The Ayatollah and government end up sharing power, but I agree that the Ayatollah has more power. However, remember it was the outrage of the people that causes the Ayatollah to reverse his initial backing of the election results to call for an investigation into the election.
The problem with this is that it won't work. The government isn't just going to give them what they want because they all decided to take a walk at the same time. King George didn't care about any protests the colonists made. Instead he raised taxes. The the American colonists had to have a war before they got what they wanted. They had to TAKE their freedom. Nobody in a position of that much power is going to give it up because a few people decided it was a nice day for a stroll... Seriously what do they expect from this? This won't change anything.
@ Conan: Exactly what makes you think Western society is "highly evolved" or "civilized?"
>> ^imstellar28: Why is there nothing about Iran in the top 15?!?
Good question. I killed my other clip, I'm glad to see at least one making it in.
Personally I believe it's because people would rather focus on what's 'here' to them rather than what is 'there' to them. Things like this don't effect them, they don't care. Most people don't understand politics, so they don't care. Really, most people don't understand anything beyond their own personal bubbles.
Since they don't get involved, when something happens they do the only thing that comes naturally. They lash out and pretend that they do care. Different story when you're in a theocracy or a dictatorship, but democracies? How are these 30-50% electoral voting pools doing these days?
Stumble This
Why is there nothing about Iran in the top 15?!?
Clearly you haven't seen the baby goat video or the 8-bit-style keyboard cat, or you wouldn't be asking such a silly question.
Priorities.
*politics
Like the 'war on terrorism'. Terrorism is a verb, how can you have a war on a verb...a war on an action...a war on a tactic...
Anyway... my point is that if you want a government that reflects the peoples' interests that is what the democratic process is supposed to achieve. A question to be asked is...is your government representing the interests of the population as a whole?
>> ^MaxWilder:
The reason why democracy will fail in Iraq: The people did not demand it. Iran, however, has a chance of getting it, if they can keep this up. I have high hopes for them.
>> ^imstellar28:
Why is there nothing about Iran in the top 15?!?
Iran did have a parliamentary democracy; the US overthrew this government in 1953. A good history of this subversion is in the book "All the Shah's Men" by Steve Kinzer.
Good luck iran
I think we are projecting the desire of democracy on them.
The people of Iran don't desire democracy, they desire a representative government where their votes count.
I think we are projecting the desire of democracy on them.
Huh? WTF do YOU think democracy means? Maybe if you said "western style" democracy...
The reason why democracy will fail in Iraq: The people did not demand it.
I don't think B follows A in that statement. I'm not positive the democratic Iraqi state will succeed or persist in its current form, but it's premature to predict its failure based only on the difference between "demanding" democracy and eagerly accepting it.
After seeing the way the iranians have held themselves and acted, i wish i lived there. From what i've seen, i fit in better there than i do here in england. The majority of people here make me feel sick. The people in these videos make me feel inspired...put my faith back in the human race.
While us highly evolved and highly civilised people in the western world are busy letting our governments walk all over us because we're too apathetic to leave our television sets and get our fat overfed arses into the streets to stand up for ourselves. And knifing (england) / shooting (america) each other over the most petty bullshit you've ever heard, treating our fellow human beings like dirt...... Oh and we're also very busy climbing all over each other to try and get a bit further up the proverbial ladder.
I lost my train of thought. Oh yeah... whilst we're busy doing all that ^, the iranians are out there peacefully and nicely letting "the elite" know who's really in charge, whilst treating their fellow human beings like the brothers and sisters they are. God damn i'm jealous.
The government can't label them extremists or mobs so they can't justify aggressive action against them. Last night Anderson Cooper said it appears that there are police protecting the demonstrators from the republican guard. This really is an amazing situation on many levels.
>> ^Psychologic:
The most striking part of this video is the audio. There's no yelling and no violence... just people walking down the street peacefully.
The government can't label them extremists or mobs so they can't justify aggressive action against them. Last night Anderson Cooper said it appears that there are police protecting the demonstrators from the republican guard. This really is an amazing situation on many levels.
The thing here is that there may have been manipulations in the election. That's a terrible thing and i hope those are uncovered. But even if so and if Mussawi is put in power, not much will change. There will NOT by any means be a change of course in the Iran like many seem to think.
...this looks like a gay pride parade without the techno music.
I hope you do all know that those people are followers of Mussawi. It's not like he's the modern, progressive, pro-western type of guy. First of all he's just the lesser of two evils and don't forget the real power in Iran isn't the elected government but the Ayatollah, who is not elected but chosen by a group of Mullahs and stays in power until he dies.
The thing here is that there may have been manipulations in the election. That's a terrible thing and i hope those are uncovered. But even if so and if Mussawi is put in power, not much will change. There will NOT by any means be a change of course in the Iran like many seem to think.
Pro-western or patsy? Remember this is a country that remembers very, very well how the US overthrew their democratically elected government in 1953. Also in 2007, the US approved 400 million for funding covert operations aimed at Iranian regime change. Pro-western is too much to ask. I think settling for not anti-western would be acceptable.
The Ayatollah and government end up sharing power, but I agree that the Ayatollah has more power. However, remember it was the outrage of the people that causes the Ayatollah to reverse his initial backing of the election results to call for an investigation into the election.
>> ^Payback:
>> ^Farhad2000:
The people of Iran don't desire democracy, they desire a representative government where their votes count.
I think we are projecting the desire of democracy on them.
Huh? WTF do YOU think democracy means? Maybe if you said "western style" democracy...
@ Conan:
Exactly what makes you think Western society is "highly evolved" or "civilized?"
Or would have we just rioted like we just lost the NBA Finals?
Why is there nothing about Iran in the top 15?!?
Good question. I killed my other clip, I'm glad to see at least one making it in.
Personally I believe it's because people would rather focus on what's 'here' to them rather than what is 'there' to them. Things like this don't effect them, they don't care. Most people don't understand politics, so they don't care. Really, most people don't understand anything beyond their own personal bubbles.
Since they don't get involved, when something happens they do the only thing that comes naturally. They lash out and pretend that they do care. Different story when you're in a theocracy or a dictatorship, but democracies? How are these 30-50% electoral voting pools doing these days?