"Steven James Forsberg" wrote in message
...
: Name a true regime of that sort with real popular support. Should be
: simple, right?
:
: Well, a lot of it depends on what you mean by totalitarian. Some
: people would call Iran that, but the government enjoys a fair amount
: of support, and even many of those who dislike it don't do so enough
: to cooperate with a U.S. invasion.

: "Support" and "fear" are two very different things. And the question in
: Iran isn't how much do the people support the government (not as
: strongly as you'd think) but how much do they fear everything else (a
: lot, due to years of internal propaganda)?

While Iran is not exactly sparkling with freedom, it is one of the
more democratic nations in the Middle East. Indeed, that is one reason the
US fears it so. If it were not for totalitarian rulers resisting popular
will, nations like Egypt and Saudi Arabia would be *very* anti-US. I
would
suggest that widespread support for the Iranian government is much
stronger
than you imply, though there are certainly those who want to see it
modified. In particular, even a lot of those who dislike heavy handed
social regulation still support an anti- or at best neutral stance towards
the U.S.
You realize, of course, that Iran is a democracy? Power is split
between the more 'secular' legislative and the more religious 'judicial/
executive' portions, but even the Ayatollah is elected (albeit indirectly,
just as the US used to do with State Senators). Lifetime appointment can
be a bitch, but just ask a critic of our Supreme Court about that.

LOL

You do realize Iran ISN'T a democracy of any real sense don't you? It is a
Theocracy with a limited fake democracy cover.

If a non-elected government branch can kill, imprison, or remove from the
ballot any politician who doesn't get the "Good Islamic Stamp Of Approval"
before or after the election - its not a democracy.

Plus veto any legislation they don't like. This is why the 30 majority
has been on the verge of staging a revolution for a few years.

Which is why a "real" democracy next door in Iraq should be scaring them so
bad.

The Islamic "priests" seam to still be beating the "rule by divine right"
drum since they seam to think they should be ruling not just the current
"royalty" of their countries. Remember the ones in Afghanistan ranting that
it was a SIN to accept a democratic government there.

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