Tuesday, June 23, 2009

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Jane S. Smith: Want to Get Close to Nature? Stay Home! Top
For a highly evolved species, we humans can be pretty dumb. At least I can. Case in point: last Sunday my husband and I drove to a park by a scenic river, 60 miles from the city where we live. As I should have expected, the scenery had changed since the last time we took this trip, some ten years ago. Farms had morphed into housing developments. Instead of orchards and cornfields, the sides of the road were planted with alternating rows of Target, Wal-Mart, and Quiznos. Scattered here and there were large glass buildings that might have dropped from outer space, except for the signs indicating vacancies in Corporate Tower West. It was the creeping sprawl we hear about all the time, but I hadn't been listening. A smarter person might also have noticed the weather, which had included nothing but rain for the past ten days. Now the sun was shining, but it would take a long time for the ground to dry. A gigantic roadside water park, closed because of flooding, was an early hint of troubled waters ahead. Still, we pressed on. When we arrived at our destination, there was a squishy quarter-mile hike down to the swollen river, along whose muddy banks we would not be stretching out to picnic, nap, or watch the clouds. The mosquitoes were out to greet us at the trailhead, along with notices advising full-body immersion in DEET. Otherwise, the park was damp, deserted, and--let's be honest-- boring. Did I mention the heat? Now that the rain had stopped, it was blazing hot, one of those days that make you contemplate the relationship between muggy and mugged. Apart from the mosquitoes, the only creatures that seemed awake were the folks racketing along the river on jet skies, making what I would not describe as a joyful noise. Cutting our losses, we had lunch at the local diner and headed home. After two hours of stop-and-go highway traffic, I took a walk to stretch my legs. That's when I finally wised up to what was going on. While the countryside was getting paved, drenched, and denuded, nature had decided to move back into town. My neighborhood park is not a pristine site. Built on landfill, it has a pond that's entirely man-made, though you can't tell if you don't notice the bubbling aeration system. But if its not virgin land, it is attractive, and not just to the people who live nearby. On this steamy day, the pathway around the pond was shady and cool, even in places where a newly arrived and highly controversial family of beaver had been busy thinning the trees. The beaver were hidden in their lodge, but just about everything else was out doing its thing. On a branch hanging over the water, a black-capped night heron shared a perch with a mallard duck. Red slider turtles swam happily below, weaving amid the bluegills and the carp. Bushes of pale pink roses were blooming at the side of the path, along with clover and daisies and deep red columbine. The blue flag irises at the water's edge were fading, but the milkweed flowers were almost ready to open and release their heady fragrance. Rabbits hopped around the shrubbery. Dozens of Canada Geese grazed on the lawn, their goslings looking as awkward as any other adolescent. It was like the opening scenes of Bambi , but without the hunters. Instead, there were bikers and picnickers and parents pushing kids in strollers. That's when I realized what a rare scene this way. Plants and animals and people had decided to tolerate each other. Nature was in balance. Balanced is different from idyllic. The herons were after the fish, after all. The rabbits were eating the flowers, the crows would probably take out a baby bunny if they had the opportunity, and the geese were creating their usual mess. For that matter, so were the humans. The garbage cans were overflowing, and beer bottles floated in the reeds. Since I can't say anything good about the warm-hearted types who bring sacks of bread to stuff the already perfectly healthy geese, and bags of seeds for the hardly starving pigeons, I will merely note how interesting it is that so many people share this particular kind of madness. But then a man who looked like he had taken a few hard knocks from the school of life came to the edge of the pond to greet his friends. " Hey , you turtles," he called in the friendly tone of a camp counselor rousing the kids for volleyball. "I know you're in there! Hey, guys! How are ya? How's it go in'?" While he waited for his answer, beaming down into the water, a young mother waddled past, baby strapped to her chest, looking a lot like the mother duck waddling with her charges down to the water's edge. In the distance, a fisherman cast his line into the water under the watchful eye of another heron. Somewhere to my left, children shrieked on playground swings. To my right, pigeons cooed. Equilibrium. Balance. No driving. Plenty of flora and fauna. Paved paths. Water fountains. Next Sunday, I'm staying home.
 
A Lost Decade For Jobs Top
Private sector job growth was almost non-existent over the past ten years. Take a look at this horrifying chart:
 
Yoani Sanchez: Hurricane Victims Caught In A No Man's Land of Indifference [VIDEO] Top
The victims of the last hurricane have ceased to be newsworthy; they are only numbers in the statistics of those who have lost their homes. The politicians no longer travel to the disaster zones to have their photos taken next to the injured, and the materials to rebuild are lost in the machinery of the bureaucracy. A few towns have been lucky enough to be showcases for the reconstruction, but others--small and unknown--are still filled with abandoned houses. Near Cienfuegos, a sheltered family suspects the cement and iron to raise their walls have been stopped by the hands of others who can pay more. Those who have grown tired of waiting for the rebirth of their home villages come to the outskirts of Havana to build their houses out of tin and cardboard. They don't want to be the victims of the next cyclone because these natural disasters, like Ike and Gustav, only throw light on the other disaster, the disaster of unproductivity and inertia that affects us all. It will soon be a year since thousands of homes came to have only the sky for a roof. Caletone, a town near Gibara that doesn't even appear in the Atlas of Cuba, is still deep in destruction. Its inhabitants know that with the current economic crisis it would be a miracle if the necessary resources reach their hands. They have fallen into that no man's land caused by indifference, the triumphalism of the press and the winds--not of hurricane force, but of waiting. This video shows the village of Caletone. Music in the video is from Ernesto Leucona: "Noche Azul" (Blue Night) Yoani's blog, Generation Y , can be read here in English translation. More on Cuba
 
William Bradley: Star Trek Firsts ... 43 Years On Top
 
TARP Watchdog: US Needs New Agency To Protect Consumers From Banks' "Tricks And Traps" Top
WASHINGTON - The outspoken head of a U.S. Congressional watchdog panel will strongly urge lawmakers on Wednesday to set up a new government agency to protect consumers from "tricks and traps" set by banks. More on The Bailouts
 
David Wild: You Better Sit Down Kids: An Only Mildly Exploitative Playlist For Jon & Kate's Plus Eight Top
So I watched my very first episode of "Jon & Kate Plus Eight" last night. Frankly I haven't been so completely confused and pissed off by a parental break up since my folks split back when I was in middle school. To their credit, however, Jon & Kate's highly promoted separation got much better ratings in the key demos than my folks. Way to pimp the whole family for fun and profit, you two! Frankly, I didn't like Jon or Kate enough to bother making either of them a playlist here. On the other hand, all of those kids seemed awful cute -- which their otherwise feuding parents apparently agree should be their full time job from birth. Listen, I'm a parent myself, and I have no desire to get into the Gosselin family business and exploit those kids further. But when all those overexposed boys and girls turn eighteen, I pledge to burn the following songs and have them airdropped into whatever compound the family is then holed up in filming the pilot episode of "The Plus 8 Go On Their First Dates" for The Non-History Channel. "You Better Sit Down Kids" -- Cher "Parents Just Don't Understand -- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince "Lost Cause"-- Beck "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" -- Tammy Wynette "Use Me" -- Bill Withers "He Stopped Loving Her Today" -- George Jones "Tunnel of Love -- Bruce Springsteen "Split Decision" -- Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood "Where Do The Children Play" -- Cat Stevens "The Price of Love" -- The Everly Brothers "Busy Being Fabulous" -- The Eagles "Do It For The Kids" -- Velvet Revolver "Bless The Beasts And Children" -- The Carpenters "Insignificant" -- Counting Crows "I Saw It On TV" - John Fogerty "The Kids Are Alright" -- The Who Any other ideas, kids? More on Jon & Kate Plus 8
 
Millions Ride To Work On Old, Vulnerable Subway Cars Top
WASHINGTON — Millions of passengers in cities across the U.S. ride old subway cars like the ones that crumpled in the deadly crash in the nation's capital. The largest transit systems depend on such cars for more than one-third of their fleets, despite safety concerns expressed by federal investigators more than three years ago. In the earliest stages of the investigation into Monday's subway accident in Washington, which killed nine people and injured more than 70 others, the National Transportation Safety Board focused on why the passenger compartments within the subway cars fared so poorly. The demolished train cars spent much of Tuesday frozen on the tracks, one with metal peeled apart sitting on top of another nearly fully flattened on impact. The NTSB raised alarms in March 2006 about older model subway cars after one of the cars in Washington's system collapsed like an accordion in a 2004 accident. The safety agency urged the Federal Transit Administration to develop crash standards that would address the telescoping of older cars and come up with a plan to remove aging trains that couldn't be structurally reinforced. Washington is among the seven largest transit systems that rely on older cars in poor or marginal condition for more than a third of their fleets, according to a federal study published this spring that had been requested by a dozen senators, including then-Sen. Barack Obama. The others are in Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York and suburban New Jersey. The older cars are either near or past their usefulness, the report said. Old subway cars experience the worst damage _ a loss of what the NTSB calls "survivable space" _ in crashes because most aren't adequately reinforced for impact. Debbie Hersman of the NTSB said Tuesday that the problem remains. Transportation officials for decades have debated whether the federal government should have more oversight of local rail systems, but it's largely up to states to set their own standards. States often don't have the money or expertise to carry out that responsibility, government investigations have found. And a 2006 Government Accountability Office report said the FTA hadn't set goals for the safety program or come up with a way to track state performance. A leading senator on transportation issues, Jay Rockefeller, said he was surprised to learn after Monday's crash that the NTSB can make recommendations to improve transit safety but doesn't have oversight authority, nor does the Federal Transit Administration. "There's no authority to tell them they've got to run a safe train," said Rockefeller, D-W.Va., chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. FTA spokesman Paul Griffo said federal law bars the agency from regulating the operations of transit agencies, a prohibition that includes establishing rules on a rail car's ability to withstand a crash. FTA has supported trade groups that have developed and published voluntary standards, he said. In Washington, Metrorail officials blame money. The system has 296 rail cars that were built more than 30 years ago, and it hasn't had enough money to cover the estimated $888 million needed to replace them, spokeswoman Candace Smith said. But the agency's chief, John Catoe, said the system's trains were safe. "Any crash at that rate of speed will have severe damage to the structure," Catoe said of Monday's crash, in which one train sped into the rear of another train that had stopped on the track. Transit officials elsewhere in the country defended their trains, with some arguing their cars meet tough Federal Railroad Administration standards for crashworthiness. Joe Pesaturo, a spokesman for the Boston area's Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, said that system's preventive maintenance program keeps its rail cars "safe and reliable at a reasonable cost." The federal government said it will take more than $50 billion to bring commuter trains into good repair that serve Washington and the nation's other metropolitan areas, according to its report earlier this year. Obama's $787 billion stimulus program provides $8.4 billion for public transportation, which states are spending to buy new rail cars, build train stations and expand bus services. The industry is working to make subway cars safer, said Martin P. Schroeder, chairman of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Rail Transit Vehicle Standards Committee. It has created its own crash standards for rail cars, but Schroeder noted that a subway car's crashworthiness is the passenger's last line of defense, since signals and operators are better positioned to avoid accidents. "It's not as if we've ignored the problem," Schroeder said. ___ Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo, Kimberly Hefling and Brett Zongker contributed to this report.
 
Andrea Chalupa: Gays, Marriage, and Money Top
I'm convinced one day we're going to look back at the gay marriage debate and future generations will go: you mean, there was actually enough material for a debate? Sure, it seems simple that two consenting adults--gay or straight--who love each other and believe they'll never run out of things to talk about should get married. But isn't that the art of debate--one side has to take a stance that seems absolutely crazy and defend it. I'm pretty sure that's what gets you laid at Oxford. It's not working out so well for the G.O.P. Walletpop's Marc Acito , "the gay Dave Barry" and a novelist in Portland, Oregon, who's been happily living with his partner Floyd, explains: "...Sensing that conservatives are losing the culture war (I mean, Iowa? Really?), GOP chairman Michael Steele has been trying to reframe the marriage debate as a financial one. I'm relieved, not because I agree with Steele's assertion that marriage equality hurts small businesses (the whole model of employer-supplied insurance got broken without any help from us), but because, since the beginning of civilization, marriage has been a financial arrangement. And I want my money." In a conversation, Marc explained to me the financial benefits he misses out on because he cannot marry his partner of 22 years. It drives you insane, it's so frustrating. I know our president has so many things to deal with--an entire planet of problems--and that he needs to be delicate with so many issues, but really, just take the pen and sign gay marriage into law already. The longer we wait to allow gay marriage in every state, the heavier history's judgement. (The word "allow" in this context is creepy, as the next paragraph explains.) Our equality and the right to happiness is protected by the Constitution of the United States. There is no debate against gay marriage--the Constitution simply allows it. And what a great country that, hundreds of years before Apple computers, our Founding Fathers saw the value in simplicity too. Please read Marc's complete column here to get a break-down on the financial-deprivation he and every other would-be-married gay couple in America has to deal with, as though they're second-class citizens. Something is definitely wrong when two strangers on a bender in Las Vegas can get married by an Elvis impersonator and suddenly receive more than 1,100 special government rights, while my partner of 22 years and I get zip. Hey Michael Steele, now that's "family values." More on Michael Steele
 
New Jersey Girl Posts Nude Photos Of Herself, Gets Probation Top
TRENTON, N.J. — A 14-year-old New Jersey girl who posted nude pictures of herself on MySpace.com will have child pornography counts dropped. The Passaic County Prosecutor's Office says the girl must undergo at least six months of counseling and probation and must stay out of trouble. If she does, all charges will be dropped. The Clifton teen was initially arrested and charged with possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. If convicted on those counts, she could have been required to register as a sex offender.
 
Jay Michaelson: The Perfect Storm is Coming: Why New York's Legislative Chaos May Be Good News for Marriage Equality Top
For months now, gay rights advocates in New York have been pulling strings, marshaling forces, and lobbying moderate state senators to make 2009 the year the Empire State finally passes marriage equality. Two weeks ago, all our dreams seemed to come crashing down in the midst of a legislative circus -- and yet June 24 may be the day they come true at last. When two State Senate Democrats bolted the party a couple of weeks ago, it sounded like the death knell for same-sex marriage. Marriage equality had stalled for years under Republican control of the Senate, and only the brand-new, Obama-era Democratic majority had made it seem achievable. (The Democrats have controlled the State Assembly for ages, and the pro-gay-marriage vote is an annual ritual.) All signs suggested that this was it. Destiny on our side, votes on our column, winds of change... a storm was finally coming, and the forecast looked good. But then came the last month. After two weeks of bickering , the New York State Senate has been an embarrassing spectacle for all of us, with locked chamber doors, stolen gavels, parallel legislative sessions, shouting matches, and more pushing and shoving than the 6 train in rush hour. Gay advocates felt despondent. All that work, only to have our issue drowned out in a partisan circus that been labeled "chaos" "disgusting" and "pathetic" by major news outlets. But actually, this may be just the time, and just the circumstances, for marriage equality in New York. It's not just a storm coming -- it's a perfect storm. First, New York's accidental governor, David Paterson, suffering from the "wimp factor" of late, has talked tough, forcing the Senate into special sessions this week. Today he announced that he wants the same-sex marriage bill to go to the floor -- now. This makes perfect sense. Paterson wants marriage equality, not only because he's been a longtime supporter of the cause, but because he might just salvage a win here -- and look strong doing it. Both parties in the Senate face the same political calculus. Each party is accusing the other of obstructing the state's business, and New Yorkers are more ready than ever to throw all the bums out. (Even the usually partisan New York Post screamed "A Pox on Both Their Houses.") So now everyone wants to get something done -- and compared with the state budget and the proposal to expand the powers of New York City's mayor, same-sex marriage is a walk in Central Park. Hard to believe, but same-sex marriage may be the least controversial way for an embattled State Senate to prove it can actually do something. Moreover, at a moment of extreme partisanship, this is not a partisan issue. Several moderate Republicans have been conspicuous in their non-opposition to marriage equality, perhaps sensing that the political winds have indeed shifted, and hedging their bets. (More cynically, not taking a position enables these centrists to wheel and deal their vote more effectively.) Meanwhile, the most vocal opponent of same-sex marriage is a Democrat, Ruben Diaz, Sr. What better way to rise above partisanship than this? And what better time than now? In an ordinary moment, one could expect the Republican moderates to retreat to their base, or for the Senate to simply punt on the issue. But now is not an ordinary moment. Never have so many different forces in Albany had so many different reasons to reach the same result. This is true right up to the top -- Pedro Espada, the turncoat Senator whose switch precipitated this whole mess, has himself called for a vote on the issue, and supports the bill. This isn't how we wanted it to happen. Marriage equality advocates have tried for years to paint this cause as an ethical issue: one of equality, basic rights, and justice. We didn't want it to pass because of political arithmetic, or because this is the easiest distraction with which to Wag the Dog. But hey, this is New York. Forty years after the Stonewall riots, maybe June 24 will go down in history after all. More on Gay Marriage
 
Dr. Hendrie Weisinger: Are You Psychologically Green? Part I Top
Green with envy and Green with Greed have proven to be losing strategies for individuals and our country alike. Today, though, there is a new psychological green that brings with it optimism, productivity and a sense of thriving instead of surviving. Today, being psychologically green means tuning into your instincts, getting back to basics, and back to our human nature. Whereas physical green is analogous to protecting our planet, psychological green is about protecting and honoring our human nature. We have laws that force us to protect our planet, It's too bad we don't have laws to protect our human nature! The fact is, we have become disconnected from our instinctual tools that help us thrive, such as cooperation, curiosity, and care-giving to name just a few. Take a look at the plights we have now and you will see for that they are a result of going against our human nature, from being "instinctually disconnected." No wonder we are often so unhappy and unfulfilled. No wonder we sometimes get into the wrong relationships, take the wrong jobs, and make the wrong choices. At the same time, look at the individuals, families, organizations, and countries that are thriving, and you will conclude that they are doing nothing more than staying in synch with their human nature, that is why they are growing. It is our instinctual tools that allow us to thrive and to solve the everyday problems that we encounter. Today psychological green is true to the color of nature-green for growth." What can we do to create a culture of psychological green ? How do we get back in touch with our human nature?" The answer lies in using the genius of your instincts, the tools Mother Nature has given you to thrive. Here are three tips to get you started: 1. Listen to your emotions ; they are the voice of your instincts. Too often, we rely on the opinions and recommendations of others to make our choice. Friends tell you, "He is perfect for you." Parents and counselors tell the high school graduate, "This is the school for you." We follow the advice, despite the nagging feeling that tells us, something isn't right. Listening to your emotions and feelings is the beginning for getting connected to your shelter seeking instincts, thier function being to get yourself into an "emowering enviornment," one that helps you grow. 2. Allow yourself to feel vulnerable . You are hardwired to care-solicit --ask others for help. It is Mother Nature's instinctual tool that helps you protect your vulnerabilities. Most people deny their vulnerabilities and as result, become disconnected from their care-soliciting instinct. Why does this happen? One reason is that feeling vulnerable is uncomfortable (as it should be since it communicates we are at risk.) Another reason is the conventional pop psychology message that successful individuals solve their own problems, the emotionally healthy too. Thus, we seldom ask for help when we really need it. Being comfortable with feeling vulnerable will allow you to take advantage of your care-soliciting instincts. 3. Develop others : Can anyone deny the world would be better place if we all became more touched by our care-giving instincts , the evolutionary function being to develop the future. Fact is, Presidents have written books on the importance of care-giving, but Mother Nature said it first. Both males and females are hardwired to be maternal and paternal-it is in your genes. Early parents who were good care-givers increased the survival chances of their off spring, and just as the Roman Empire had to develop thier strongest into young warriors, so do companies have to develop young talent into thier "warriors." There are all sorts of reasons that inhibit our care-giving instincts, such as withholding love because of anger-animals never do this. Some catalysts to get to your care-giving nature: at work, focus on developing others; at home, prioritize your children; with your partner, tune in to their physical and mental health. Care-give to your parents more often. Also, do things for your community. In my next post, I will give you three more tips to become psychologically green for the purpose of helping you thrive! I'd like to hear your thoughts on "psychological green." www.drhendrieweisinger.com More on Marriage
 
Stefan Aschan: Blog Castor Oil for Knee and Muscle Pain Top
Why didn't I think of this option as well? To be honest I forgot until a client of mine asks me: "Stefan, what do you think of Castor oil." Childhood memories came back. In Austria, as children we were given castor oil chest rubs when we had a cold or had ankle sprains. I never understood the benefit of it, until I studied for my masters in holistic nutrition. What is Castor oil? Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of the castor oil plant whose Botanical name is ricinus communis. It has been used in folk medicine more than 4000 years ago in Egypt for eye irritations, in India and China for the induction of childbirth and in Rome Greece and Southern Europe as a laxative. Studies have found that Castor oil packs increase the number of total lymphocytes and an increase in the number of T-11 cells within a 24 hour period following the treatment. In short, it general boosts the body's defense statues since lymphocytes defend the by forming antibodies against pathogens and their toxins. T-cells identify and kill viruses, fungi, bacteria and cancer cells. Castor oil packs have also been found to increase the healing of sustained injuries where the skin is not broken. My client's acupuncturist recommended to her to try castor oil packs to help healing her sustained knee injury. And here is how you would go about it: Take a cloth and wet it with hot water. Pour the castor oil in the cloth so that it is soaked, but not dripping with oil. Place it to the area where you experience pain. You can wrap cellophane around it to keep it in place, and to prevent it from dripping over your bed sheets. It would be best would be to do this before bedtime and to leave it on for 6 to 7 hours. Yet, before you start with any treatment, please check in with your health care practitioner to clarify what kind of injuries you might have sustained. Stefan Aschan is a leading expert on lifestyle, health and fitness who has helped more than 30,000 people get fit through advice on nutrition, fitness and lifestyle changes. For your free "How to live 100 years in perfect health" report and the must read "updates and solution" newsletter on how to have 10 times more success, stay on top of your goals, and accomplish the change of body and appearance, go here .
 
Virginia M. Moncrieff: As Afghan election heats up, woman candidate stands tall. Top
Of all the things I might like to do in the second half of 2009, standing in the Afghanistan Presidential elections and taking on the Taliban, rampant corruption and the world's biggest drug cartels would be pretty low on my list. But then, I could never figure out why Benazir Bhutto had such a death wish either. Forty candidates have now been confirmed for the election, which will be held on August 20. The official campaign period began this week with press conferences, posters and undeliverable promises littering the country. I have discussed the front running candidates before - but recent International Republican Institute polling indicates that 31% of Afghans intend to vote for Hamid Karzai - leaving him a long way in front of Dr Ashraf Ghani - a favorite with middle class liberal Afghans. (See my previous post on Dr Ghani here ). One of the bravest candidates is Shahla Atta, a 47 year old university graduate who is currently an MP for Kabul. While sharing with other candidates an almost identical shopping list of election promises - judicious use foreign aid, compulsory basic education, defeat of the Taliban, justice and rule of law, economic accountability, corruption busting - Ms Atta distinguishes herself by her courage alone. One of only two female candidates - the other if Frozan Fana - she has no chance of success. (A 2004 female Presidential candidate attracted 1.1% of the vote). In a country where little girls are attacked with acid for going to school, she has a very good chance of inspiring hatred and a notion of revenge that might end in her being killed. That's a high price to pay for standing in an election you have no chance of winning. "The people have tested men, but they did not get anything. Now, why not see what a woman can do? I know I can do it, I am strong," she said recently. Ms Atta's campaign posters feature assassinated President Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan whose policies Ms Atta says she will emulate. (SDK was an anti-fundematelaist reformer, who nevertheless ran a repressive regime. He was assassinated in 1978). Candidates who throw their hat in the ring with little chance of success, are regarded warily in Afghanistan, where the tall poppy syndrome (excuse the pun) is alive and well. People who seem to be seeking fame through the ballot box are called gomnaam , a dismissive term which broadly translated means "unimportant". Why anyone would wish to be gomnaam and an assassination target at the same time - as Ms Shahla Atta surely is in the eyes of many Afghans - may confuse those who don't live in a basket case. But perhaps, like suicide bombers, those Presidential candidates believe that really, nothing more can be lost and that to go in - and out - fighting is the only option left. More on Afghanistan
 
James Moore: A Part of Their Rage Belongs to Us Top
The genteel interview of the former empress of Iran conducted by MSNBC Tuesday is a vital example of how American political sensibilities are dangerously lacking context. We watch on the web and television as Iranians die in the street demanding proof of a democratic election and we are mostly amazed at their courage. MSNBC, seeking insight on Iran's raging electorate, turns, foolishly, to a woman whose husband was a brutal dictator and, almost certainly, as oppressive as Iran's current president. Farah Pahlavi, who was married to the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, told MSNBC's Kari Huus that she was hoping the uprising would happen "in spite of the dictatorship of the theocracy." Regardless of the nature of the current Iranian government, dictatorship is a precise description of the regime maintained by her late husband. Shah Pahlavi, as even casual students of history are aware, was an American puppet placed in power by a coup, which had been orchestrated by Kermit Roosevelt, Jr, the grandson of the former president. When the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company was nationalized in 1951 by Iran's democratically elected President Dr. Mohammed Mossadegh, U.S. and British intelligence services set in motion a plan to install the Shah and overthrow the man who had been voted into office. The historical rationalization was that Communism was afoot in that part of the world and the West was worried that the Iranian communist party might take control of Iran's vast natural resources and assist the U.S.S.R. The truth was the U.S. and Britain wanted Iran's cheap energy and the Shah turned into a cozy lap dog that bought American weapons with his country's billions while providing the oil needed by the West. The Shah ran a frightful government. He established SAVAK, a secret police service that was actually trained at an American university. SAVAK tortured and killed thousands of Iranians over the course of Shah Pahlavi's rule. Dissent was brutally crushed. Empress Pahlavi, almost pathetically, tried to describe her husband as a man "who didn't want to keep his throne over the bloodshed of his people." This, obviously, is utter nonsense. He killed an untold number of "his" people to keep his throne and it is one of our country's great shames that we helped to facilitate his oppression. The empress makes mention of how much the Iranian people "have suffered over the past 30 years." There's little doubt that the mullahs have created a theocracy that does not allow for true expression of the will of the people and it is abundantly clear that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is as brutal as any other dictatorial leader. What the empress again fails to mention and is not asked about by the MSNBC reporter is the nature of the government run by her husband from 1953 until he was tossed out of his country by the Islamic Revolution in 1979. There was no form of demonstration under the Shah, and mass protest was virtually unheard of until Iran's religious leaders began to assert themselves a few decades into the Shah's rule. When the Ayatollah Khomeini led the revolt of 1979 and the U.S. Embassy was stormed, the anger grew out of decades of misguided American financial and political support of the oppressive Shah. Iran's politically oppressed were seeking an answer to his power and angry mullahs were the only ones willing to confront the strong man. Iran's youth has largely followed the religious leaders ever since those 66 Americans were captured. Until the Internet. And Obama. The more Iranians see of the west and America and our new president the more they want what is offered by a better form of democracy. Their protests now are as much about a lack of real choice as they are the bastardized and corrupted electoral process in their country. They don't know, however, whether they can trust America. We have a poor record of performance with their country. Iran's educated population knows that Ahmadinejad is a lunatic and his rumblings against Israel and denial of the Holocaust are embarrassing absurdities. They wonder, however, how the west can deny them the sovereign right to develop nuclear power, whether for peaceful or military purposes. Even if they know their president is a fool with his claims about Israel, Iranians still see an acute hypocrisy in the fact that Israel is a non-signatory of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Israel also refuses to formally acknowledge it has one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world but still receives unflinching support from U.S. leadership. The Empress Pahlavi wrapped up her interview with MSNBC by saying she stands ready to help the movement for democracy in her home country. Whether this is humor or irony hardly seems to matter; she is as oblivious to her history as we Americans are to our own past in Iran. Her son, Reza Cyrus Pahlavi, has long said he hopes to return and lead his country some day. His time in America has not been wasted, either. He has learned to use the mighty lever of fear. In Washington, D.C., speaking at the National Press Club Monday, he sounded like he was a graduate of the Dick Cheney School of Nuclear Fear and Sound Bite Fun when he said, "Fanatical tyrants who know that the future is against them may end their present course on their terms, a nuclear holocaust." The people of Iran deserve far better than another Pahlavi, Ahmadinejad, or Mousavi. They also have countless reasons to be angry. And a part of their rage belongs to us. Also at www.moorethink.com . More on Iran
 

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