On being left speechless.

This thought was too long for facebook, so I hope you will indulge me the space it takes here. I was not too sure about making comments regarding the violence in Iran, most especially since I am not Iranian. I don't feel like I can speak legitimately, or even intelligently about the particulars of what is happening there. However, I do feel the need to say something to my friends; to those of you who grasp much more completely than I do the implications of what is taking place, whose future happiness and prosperitey are tied up with the events unfolding in Tehran, Shiraz, Tabriz, Esfahan, and other places that space and my own ignorace prevents me from listing here. What then to say? Expressions of solidarity, compassion, or concern seem too easy; my ignorance is obvious and undeniable, and thus any such statements would, I feel, be lacking. The inescapable point is that I do not know, nor can I fully comprehend what each of you is going through right now. There is no way for me to fully share your outrage, your frustration, or your sorrow. I am left in a place where I want to help and support but am unsure what, if anything, is required from me. In the final analysis I can only offer to my friends what I do have, share what I sincerely believe, and ask your forgiveness that it is so painfully insufficient.

The first thing I would like to say is a word of caution, beware of hopelessness. Talking with a few of you over the past week, and following events on Facebook, Twitter, and a couple of blogs I keep coming back to the same thought, that there is the danger of resignation; on the one hand a chance that some will be demoralized by the actions of the government and vow never to vote again, on the other hand an attitude that change must happen now or it never will. These sentiments provoke in me the desire to say again, beware of hoplessness. The real danger in these days is that the brutality of the regime will convince some that their's is a lost cause or simply an unattainable dream, and that they should be more realistic about the power of the state. I can only caution that such false practicality is the trap laid by those who would use violence to enforce their will, it is an invitation to see the world as they do and to act accordingly. The only thing I can offer in rubuttal is the conviction that the agents of repression are really the ones fighting against the inevitable; it was most clearly articulated when a friend reminded me of a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that, "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice."

I have had account recently to think about those who support the current regime, not for personal gain or because their fortunes are tied to its success or failure. I keep coming back to thinking about the regular people who did vote for Ahmedinejad, who believe in Ayatollah Khamenei, and who will also have to live in whatever kind of Iran emerges from the chaos. The second thing I would like share also comes from Dr. King. I will just transcribe it here, as his words are far more potent than my own;

...Forced to live with these shameful conditions, we are tempted to become bitter and to retaliate with corresponding hate. But if this happens, the new order we seek will be little more than a duplicate of the old order. We must in strength and humility meet hate with love...Of course, this is not practical...My Friends, we have followed the so-called practical way for too long a time now, and it has led inexorably to deeper confusion and chaos. Time is cluttered with the wreckage of communities which surrendered to hatred and violence. For the salvation of our nation and the salvation of mankind, we must follow another way. This does not mean that we abandon our righteous efforts...But we shall not in the process relinquish our privilege and our obligation to love...To our most bitter opponents we say: "We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will, and we shall continue to love you. We cannot in good conscience obey your unjust laws, because non-co-operation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is co-operation with good. Throw us in jail, and we shall still love you. Send your hooded perpetrators of violence into our community at the midnight hour to beat us and leave us half dead, and we shall still love you. But be ye assured that we will wear you down by our capacity to suffer. One day we shall win freedom, but not only for ourselves. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory."

My apologies.

To my friends

The Iranian election....

I know that some of you feel heartbroken, battered, cheated on, etc...

Let me tell you this...an election is only a ph test of society. Real change does not happen at the election, but between elections. You cannot expect to have a sudden result, if the nation is not ready.

In fact, having a sudden change without being ready, like a revolution for example (that you would know more about than me) usually does not bring the benefits that you would hope.

The "winners" of a sudden change will still have the same mindset of those before them. If you want to take power through power, it doesnt matter what your ideals are, because they will be corrupted.

Power corrupts. 

There have been example after example after example.....human history is full of them. Really, human history contains nothing else almost!! One power being replaced by another, and the new "beautiful" power has emerged and when times comes it is just as authoritarian as anything else.

Ask the Cambodians, ask the Russians, ask the Cuban.....and ask yourself.

True and lasting change occurs only, when you are not occupied with defeating your enemy. It occurs only when not occupied with being better than someone else. It occurs only when not occupied with traditional power as means to change.

It occurs, when positive, creative thinking is present. "Dont say that one person cant change the world, indeed......it is the only thing that ever has". 

All real change starts with yourself. If you are angered with Mahmoud, then you only reproduce his anger. If you are frustrated with Mahmoud, you only reproduce his frustration, and the frustration of all of his followers.

By saying, I want a sudden change, you are not looking inside yourself, or at least not hard enough. Sudden change brings about a lot of destruction, and violence.

Im NOT saying, "lets wait forever."

Im saying, take a look at the past...there has only been about 200 years since ppl though the world was flat. There has only been 30 years since the head of IBM thought that the world would only need maximum 5 computers.

Take things into perspective, and you will realise; Iran is headed for change...whether the religious elite wants to or not. It can not be stopped.

There are two basic principles of politics, in the philosophical sense;

1. Power Corrupts

2. What you fight against, you will only make stronger

So, stop fighting, at least violently, angered, frustrated fighting.

And start "fighting" for a true change, the change that can only happen within yourself. If you cannot get rid of your anger and frustration, then how is Mahmoud and his followers going to get rid of theirs??

Comments are appreciated. And a more elaborate post will be written if needed.

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Frustrated
Nauseous
Furious
Helpless
Speechless
Incensed
Disappointed
Sad
Raped
Enraged
Hurt
Worried
Fuming
Bitter
Angry
Angry
Angry