Iran 'has negative role in world'

[applegrove]

Iran 'has negative role in world'
Last Updated: Friday, 3 February 2006, 02:31 GMT
BBC News

"Iranian President Ahmadinejad's nation fared worst in the survey

Iran is the country most widely viewed as having a negative influence in the world, with the US in second place, a new poll for the BBC suggests.
The survey for the BBC World Service asked how 39,435 people in 33 nations across the globe saw various countries.

Views of China, Russia and France have declined in comparison to a similar survey at the end of 2004.

Japan is most widely seen to have a positive influence. Europe has the most positive scores of all in the poll.

.... SKIP"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4674656.stm

[BayCityProgressive]

1. I dont want war with Iran

but they do have a very negative role in the world. They are undemocratic, extremist, and violent....and I think they are playing right into Bush's hands by becoming more reactionary.

[applegrove]

2. Thing is that they are not being treated like China - though they

have the same issues. Likely because they are oil rich. They are an all or nothing prize. From what I hear their planes fall out of the sky because there has been an embargo on airplane parts for a decade or two.

This whole horrid anti-semitism is pure baiting. Trying to dial up the conflicts so they can get concessions. My guess is they would like the bomb - but failing that - would like the USA to stop supporting dissidents (of which there are millions). I guess they look around and see the carrots being offered to North Korea.

I don't know that it is playing into Bush hands. I think the Iranians are dialing it up because they think they can get more out of it. They have the bomb, the bourse, and the "new form" of anti-semitism. Those are three things Europe and the USA would die to end.

And I think they know this. What worries me is not that some deal will not be reached and then Iran will have airplane parts and leave us alone concessions. I think this crisis will pass.

What worries me is that in this new world of pot and pan banging - leaders who are not Saddam Hussein or a Hitler - are getting into the scare game. It is one thing when the psychopaths do it. That is bad enough. But when non-psychopaths see bullying and game-playing as legit - well the world is just more fucked. I blame the USA for that. Neocons in particular. They introduced the "I'm a crazy, crazy, crazy, scary President" smoke & mirrors to the world.

[BayCityProgressive]

3. The reason we dont threaten China

is because we could never win a war agaisnt them. If we could we would be threatening them too. Also, I do think Iran is extremely anti-semetic and although I hate much of what Israel does I grudgingly support them over the rest of the religious dictatorships in the region.

[applegrove]

8. Well they are anti-semetic these last few months. Though I think there

is perhaps the only lasting indigenous jewish group living in the arab country in Iran (okay so it is not arab).

[Djinn]

7. considerably more democratic than Saudi

yet never a pip about them, also more democratic than Pakistan, another of our allies.

Never fails to amuse me that it's only the "outsider" dictators we have an issue with.

Sitting down here in Australia I can tell you than I've got/had much more to fear from successive US governments than Iran.

Maybe overthrowing Mossadegh wasn't such a great idea after all

[applegrove]

9. Absolutely. Think if the West had been promoting "Democracy at all

cost" 20 years before radical Islam appeared.

Very sad.

[Nutmegger]

4. We need to leave Iran

effing alone! If we're so bent up on ridding them of nuclear technology, China has some warheads that should be dealt with. Do we trust nuclear warheads in the hands of the Chinese???!!!

[carolinalady]

5. Bush needs war to retain all his war powers, but the majority

wants out of Iraq, so all of a sudden Iran is a Huge Problem. I don't remember much talk at all about Iran until Murtha spoke up. He knew he was f**cked because Murtha was a hawk and he knows that Murtha was speaking the truth about getting his info from the Generals. He is in power for three more years and we will be at war until he leaves.

[no_hypocrisy]

6. When you're Number Two, you try harder.

We're the U.S.A. and we're not going to let Iran beat us in anything.