Some kind of choice

[mahnmut]

The principle that if elections were to really change anything they'd already be abolished, is fully valid in Iran's case, it would seem. Although the economy is already suffering big time under the constant international sanctions, neither of the 7 candidates for the presidential post expressed any criticism or even gave a hint about a desire to

Comments

[notmrgarrison]

Good Post.

I don't remember if it was liberals, libertarians, conservatives, democrats, republicans, or what, but I remember reading now and again that "Sanctions don't work". I always thought that was silly. Not only can sanctions have a significant effect, the threat of sanctions can bring leverage.

[luvdovz]

This choice of the "most moderate" candidate more and more looks like a nice PR stunt that's meant to throw some dust into people's eyes just for the sake of buying a few more years of relative internal peace.

On the other hand, I suspect we'll be watching an increasingly amusing circus of internal fights for power in the Iranian regime in the next few years.

[the_rukh]

Moderate is a very relative term. I mean, he's not using chemical warfare on protesters yet!

[root_fu]

Good post x2.

[underlankers]

I think the problem here is that the USA, and in particular the Bomb Iran crowd in the USA, has for whatever reason decided to forget the Islamic part of the Islamic Republic and pretends Ayatollah Khameini either doesn't exist or they think Zombie Khomeini is in charge. Whether or not this election leads to people in the USA remembering that the supreme power in Iran is in the hands of a Muslim cleric is a good question without a good answer. But you do raise a good point that the new boss has all the problems of the old boss and even less room to maneuver. 2009 IMHO has shown that the Iranian regime is perfectly capable of using the most crude tool of a regime's survival, so I doubt the troubles ahead will see another revolt suppressed by mass crackdowns. Four years isn't long enough for those memories to be forgotten, not without major external forces operating that don't apply in this case.

[nairiporter]

Well, Rowhani at least spoiled the preliminary plans of the mullahs. This election wasn't supposed to happen like that. OK, they had made sure to not allow any surprises by picking up mostly regime-friendly conservative candidates so that the 2009 protests wouldn't be repeated; they limited Internet access and increased the pressure on various opposition leaders and journalists.

But it turned out the Iranian people had other plans, and Rowhani, of all candidates, won the election. And from the first try. And with a 72% turnout. If that's not a sign (if more subtle than those protests from 4 years ago) that the majority of Iranians are rejecting the hardline policies, and a blow on Khamenei's authority, I don't know what is (short of an actual "counter?"-revolution).

The post is good indeed.