The Achilles heel of the Iranian culture is that we are born victims. Something is always done to us. Until the day we learn to take responsibility and nurture freedom and democracy we will not prevail. George Bush is wrong on Iraq and even if he wanted to he would not be able to attack Iran militarily. Have you asked people in Iran if they are willing to die by the hundreds of thousand? Will it really make a difference to remove one dictatorship and replace it with another? For the past 1400 years, on average we have had new regime every 50-70 years. This one will change to. But if we are to have long lasting freedom and democracy we need to nurture it not impose is. The fundamentalist ideas by George Bush are not much different than those by the mullahs, sorry! It is only a matter of degrees. What you do is you empower the people, make them economically viable and the regime will change.
- By: Karan Bavandi on November 9, 2004

I am an Iranian and I am very glad that Bush was reelected because he's the only U.S. president or Western head of state who has actually called the mullahs by name and who has the will and clarity of vision to do what everyone else has failed to do -- including the Iranian opposition and the likes of the idiots who call Iran "Independent IRI" and show their complete lack of understanding of the fundamentals of a democracy by labeling people "enemies of all those who love Iran" simply because they disagree with him. Iraq is a far better place today than it was under Saddam Hussein and whatever problem (real or media-created) it's having is largely due to the meddling of Iranian and Arab extremists in its affairs. No one wants to see its birthplace under military attack, but if that's what it takes to get rid of the mullahs and the Islamists, then I'm all for it. Other countries in the past have had to get outside help in order to reach democracy. It's sad that we can't do it on our own. But there is nothing wrong with getting help from others. Three of the world's most advanced democracies have done just that in the not so distant past. Why not us?
- By: Hopeful Iranian on November 9, 2004

Some people of iran like bush because they think that bush is a democtatic person and has good thinks for improving life of human beigs.When they see the qualification of life in iran & the way of administration this country they think bush can help them.They are not satisfied.But I think nobody can help us except ourselves.We ourselves should think & then plan.Because other people (like bush) work & think for themselves.We should ourselves try to improve our country.for example u see iraq & its qalification after war.IRAN IS FOR IRANIAN.
- By: CC on November 7, 2004

100,000, No that number is way off. It's more like 10,000. About 600,000 civilian deaths were directly caused by Hussein. There's no way the US public would ever support an invasion of Iran....moral, financial, and logistic support is about all one could ever hope for. The US public can't even stand a death toll of 1,100 US troops in Iraq, and Iraq would be Disneyland compared to battles with Iran's revolutionary guards. Americans liked it much better when we were cowardly launching cruise missles from 1,000 miles away and killing civilians on video monitors and aspirin factories.
- By: LM on November 4, 2004

They say 100,000 Iraqis have died in this war; like 10 times more than the number who died under Saddamn's entire rule. I don't want Iranians to die; there must be another way to free Iran Maybe the US and Iran can both win, if they had a president who considered more than war as the only option?
- By: Shiva on November 2, 2004

surprisingly enough, it seems to be a catching idea for some of the educated ones as well (I have personally come across to many of them).
- By: Behzad on November 1, 2004

On tuesday I'm voting for Kerry, but here is a question, wouldnt voting for Bush help screw up the US even more? Wouldnt voting for Kerry potentially help the US build up its financial powers again, getting it ready for the next president after him to attack Iran? right now the US does not have the power to attack Iran thanks to Bush's administration!
- By: Ali B. on November 1, 2004

Mr. Derakhshan, How do you define the middle class? You mentioned middle class resentment for the government as a motivation for supporting Bush. Then again you indicated that supporting Bush is appealing to the uneducated who cannot tolerate regime control of their social life anymore. Therefore, I conclude you consider the middle class and uneducated in the same category. Based on my information, in Iranian context middle class are the educated segment of the society! So I was just wondering if you could let us know your definition of the “Iranian Middle Class”. Furthermore, despite GW’s stupidity , he pursued a very wise foreign policy and won the hearts and minds of the young Iranians who are roughly making up 70% of the country’s population. Those %70 that you called them all stupid, heard from GW’s axis of evil: “Iran, the country that a few unelected individuals suppressed Iranian people’s hope for freedom..”. I guess Bush’s target of attack are the people that you yourself criticize day and night in your weblog!! Which off course we are lucky enough to enjoy and comment on it. In addition, unlike cowards like Carter, conman like Regan, Bush was straight forward with mullahs and always sided with IRANIAN PEOPLE. If you remember the first debate while Kerry was criticizing him for his lack of efforts regarding IRANIANS atomic ambitions, Bush replied by mentioning the role of Europe in dealing with MULLAHS (and not Iranians). So the big difference between GW and Kerry is that GW explicitly distinguished between IRANIAN and MULLAHS who must GO!!
- By: GW on November 1, 2004

How do the satellite channels finance themselves? Do they solicit donations from expats?
- By: David on October 31, 2004

Any Iranian who votes for Bush with the intent of him overthrowing Independent IRI is a supreme traitor. They should be ashamed of themselves for even contemplating the idea. And I do not think it would be unfair to label them the enemies of all those who love Iran. Was Iraq not a lesson for these ignorant fools. I guess it makes no difference to oppurtunists, which is what all those monarchists are.
- By: Angry Iranian on October 31, 2004