The President of Iran and George W. Bush are the SAME Politician!

[Up2Late]

Or at least they are using the SAME Political strategy. No REALLY, I'm serious!

Check this out, I was listening to this report about "what style of Politician" the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is, and the political techniques he is using to win over his people is almost exactly the same as what * has been using to push the Republican Party further to the right.

I'm not sure who is copying who, or if they even realize they are using the same political techniques but, according to this report he:

Dresses plainly

Speaks simply

and he appears to be on a permanent campaign across the country.

He's trying to connect to the ordinary people, he's trying to be a "populous president."

He uses fiery, nationalist rhetoric, challenging the right of the U.S. and other colonial powers to use their influence in the Middle East.

The Holocaust denial rhetoric he's been using, is nearly the same as the way * has been using the "Axis of Evil" declaration and *'s challenging Iran, Iraq, Syria, etc., right to exist, all in order to stifle his critics and challenge their patriotism.

Here's what you do, Listen to this report: <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5204387>

but whenever they refer to the Iranian President, mentally substitute our so-called "presidents" name, and when ever you hear the Iranian opposition opinions expressed, listen to how similar they are to the Theocratic and "conservative" Republicans, and even sometimes the Democrats positions.

Whenever they refer to the anti-Israel stuff and the Holocaust denial rhetoric, substitute the "Axis of Evil" and your favorite "evil middle-eastern dictator," Al Quida, or Osoma bin Laden.

You might have to listen twice to get everything, but it's really quite amazing: <http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5204387>

NOTE: Even though I consider myself a Buddhist, my Fathers side of the family was Jewish before WW2, and very much impacted by the Holocaust (most of my fathers side was murdered by the Nazis).

[Up2Late]

1. Really, I'm serious! Listen to the NPR report then judge if I'm wrong.

:kick:

[Up2Late]

3. kick n/t

:kick:

[ComerPerro]

2. Same with Saddam. Same with HItler

seriously.

Its exactly the same as the similarities between Osama bin Laden and the "christian" right...

[bush_is_wacko]

7. Yep! n/t

[Roland99]

4. I listened to MLK, Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech today

I substituted, in my mind, Negro with American and thought of our current fight against tyranny.

What a presence he was.

[Up2Late]

5. Where did you hear it? I love going to The History Channel's...

..."Great Speaches" page, they have the Full "I have a Dream" speach, as well as the "Moutain top" speech, and even the speech by Bobby Kennedy, when he broke the news to the audiance at his campaine stop in Indianapolis, and Ted Kennedy's speech at RFK's funeral.

<http://www.historychannel.com/broadband/searchbrowse/index.jsp?searchtype=search&searchterm=*&mediatype=Audio>

<http://www.historychannel.com/broadband/home/>

<http://www.historychannel.com/>

They have a lot of others too, but those are some of the best they have there.

It was a tiny little book of MLK speeches that started me on my path to becoming a Buddhist.

[Roland99]

6. I have it on my iPod Nano!

:D

[Up2Late]

8. Did I mention he has has a Website???

<http://www.president.ir/>

Click the English Version link at top left. All the rhetoric you've heard about. is there.

[LunaC]

9. And they both believe in their own version of the Second Coming

For those who believe, the devotion is real. Tears stream down the cheeks of 2,000 men ripe for the return of the Mahdi, the 12th Imam they expect will soon emerge to bring justice and peace to a corrupt world.

-snip-

As at a Christian revivalist meeting that promises healing and redemption, many weep as they pray for the Shiite Muslim version of the second coming of the Messiah.

-snip-

"Bush said: 'God said to me, attack Afghanistan and attack Iraq.' The mentality of Mr. Bush and (President) Ahmadinejad is the same here - both think God tells them what to do," says Mr. Mohebian, noting that end-of-time beliefs have similar roots in Christian and Muslim theology.

"If you think these are the last days of the world, and Jesus will come , this idea will change all your relations," says Mohebian. "If I think the Mahdi will come in two, three, or four years, why should I be soft? Now is the time to stand strong, to be hard." That mind-set also hearkens back to the missionary ambition of the newly forged Islamic Republic. "What Ahmadinejad believes is that we have to create a model state based on ... Islamic democracy - to be given to the world," says Hamidreza Taraghi, head of the conservative Islamic Coalition Society. "The ... government accepts this role for themselves."

Any possibility of détente with the US may also be in jeopardy, if the US-Iran conflict is cast in Mahdaviat terms. That view holds that the US - with quasireligious declarations of transforming the Middle East with democracy and justice, deploying military forces across the region, and developing a new generation of nuclear weapons - is arrogantly trying to assume the role of Mahdi.

More………

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1221/p01s04-wome.html

[Up2Late]

11. Very interesting, I hadn't seen the CS Monitor article.

Scott Peterson did a lot of good writing on the suffering caused by the DU (Depleted Uranium) used during the 1991 Gulf War.

I'll definitely be reading that one.

[Up2Late]

13. Sorry for the second post, but I found this amazing quote from CS Monitor

"...Ayazi says that Ahmadinejad uses religion to motivate the public because he lacks political legitimacy. "You don't expect such a thing from a leader, because it turns comic. You laugh, but you become sad, because it is not supposed to be funny."

<http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1221/p01s04a-wome.htm> (from the middle of page 2)

The parallels between Bush and The President of Iran a just amazing!

[thebigidea]

10. those two clowns deserve each other.

they seem to be having a tougher time demonizing him, apart from the usual anti-Semitic stuff. He just doesn't have that dictatory flair that Saddam had - nor does he have a simple, overly familiar name like "Saddam."

Maybe he should try just a small black moustache if he wants better brand identity. You can't have a war without a good villain, and frankly - we haven't had nearly enough stories about him personally eating babies or harvesting the souls of the elderly. They tried that "he-was-one-of-the-hostage-takers-no-I-swear" thing, but that kind of fizzled out.

[Up2Late]

12. Yes, his name is definitely a problem for the D.C. spinners...

...and the anti-Zionist criticism isn't getting traction either, probably because most Americans don't understand the issue, I know I don't.

Plus, I would bet most Americans are so sick of hearing about Israel's troubles, they just tune out when the subject is raised.