My dear friend who dedicates himself to this blog and to the cause of a free and democratic Iran asked me to post some things here from time to time. He would like others to read the opinions of Americans, like myself, who sympathize with the struggles of the Iranian people. Graciously he calls us the "Modern Baskervilles."
While I am honored and flattered by such a designation, I also know that I am not deserving of it. Howard Baskerville was a great idealist of a man, who took to love and defend the Iranian folk with his life. I, on the other hand, am just another guy with opinions and viewpoints - something of which we're too much in abundance of nowadays.
But I do have to ask myself: Are there any "Modern Baskervilles?" Are there any young and idealistic American men and women who look at the faces of their Iranian cousins, see the anger and frustration, and want to do something -anything- to help? What has happened to this naive but commendable spirit, once so commonly found in Americans? Do my fellow Americans even care?
In the last week of June Iranians reacted to their government's mis-management and overall incompetence by taking over the gas stations, they followed this up by looting the stores which flaunt in their faces items that we here take for granted, but that they cannot afford. Most important of all, however, was the subsequent fires which lit up various government buildings. Such actions were explicit declarations against the theocratic regime and its greedy mullah/apparatchiks.
Where were the Western media to report to us this outbreak of violence and destruction from the Iranian people who simply cannot tolerate anymore this regime which has been smothering them, starving them, and killing them for almost 30 years? Where were the news reporters and talking heads analyzing this explosion literally burning up the summer streets of Iran's cities? Where were they?
Paris Hilton.
Yes, that's right, Paris Hilton.
Fox and CNN were focused upon their darling Paris Hilton. Giving us dumbed-down Americans around-the-clock coverage on the sugary blonde confection's adventures into the California penal system, her newfound religious awakening, the tears on her billionaire parents' faces, and every burp and fart coming out of the Hilton family, ad nauseum.
Perhaps I shouldn't ask such questions. I should know better.
In 1999, when brave Iranians literally screamed "Enough!" and fought the police (and their basiji auxiliaries), only to be beaten down, and murdered or thrown into the sinkholes that are Iran's prisons, there was barely a mention from the American media giants. Americans back then didn't get to see the tears of true anguish and fear on the faces of Iran's mothers and fathers for their sons and daughters. And we didn't get to see anything like it now. We were too engrossed in finding out Ms. Hilton's favorite Biblical passage and what of life's lessons she has now learned.
But take notice... Paris Hilton is -for now- no longer in the news (and that Anna Nicole crisis hopefully seems to be resolved). So Fox is back again with its daily quotes from Ahmadinejad; reporting his every demented utterance, his every dire wish of death and destruction (don't forget the chaos) to America and Israel coming forth from his perpetually smiling, bearded face.
Take notice too that the analysts from the right-wing think tanks and their Israeli colleagues on Middle Eastern affairs have returned to cable news and talk radio reminding us about this (next) "New Hitler," simultaneously scaring soccer moms and pumping up the balls of armchair warriors across the land for the imminent nuclear holocaust, courtesy of Iran - that (next) "country that so parallels the rise of the Third Reich."
There will not be any new Baskervilles or Shusters. Most likely there won't be anything coming from America but drummed-up hysterical fear and bigotry from an otherwise uninterested public that finds itself distracted by missing runaway brides, TV actors who use the word "faggot," and -of course that perrenial favorite- dysfunctional blonde bimbos.
Posted by,
Caesar Warrington
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