That would be plausible if it weren't for the fact that the country is run by clerics, who really don't like him all that much.

cretinbob: That would be plausible if it weren't for the fact that the country is run by clerics, who really don't like him all that much.

That's what I thought, but either they do like him, or they're far more open to the democratic process than we're led to believe, after all they are calling on the opposition to accept the results in an attempt to quell rioting.

headline fail too.

No way! This is going to be big trouble.

"The Avalanche has started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

/this should be very interesting.. from a distance.

cretinbob: That would be plausible if it weren't for the fact that the country is run by clerics, who really don't like him all that much.

They like him more than the other guy, just not as much as the guy who was there before. That is all there is to it.

/This is good news for Iran's long-term future.
//Electing the reformer would only have brought some legitimacy, prolonging the current system.

Wow. This makes me feel really bad. Ahmadinejad is the world's biggest troll. The only good thing is we don't have a president anymore who will feed the troll every time he says something. I was hoping he could be put on ignore, for the sake of the West and more importantly the Iranian people.

Violence flares after disputed Iran election

It was even unclear how many Iranians were even aware of Mousavi's claims of fraud. Communications disruptions began in the later hours of voting Friday - suggesting an information clampdown.



"Communications disruption can mean only one thing -- invasion."

Hibno: Wow. This makes me feel really bad. Ahmadinejad is the world's biggest troll. The only good thing is we don't have a president anymore who will feed the troll every time he says something. I was hoping he could be put on ignore, for the sake of the West and more importantly the Iranian people.

He can't be that big, I'm pretty sure he's wearing the exact same Members Only jacket I had when I was 12.

Can't wait till we bomb this dangerous country! Gunna be so much fun!

Do they even have electricity yet? Why do we even care what they do?

FTA: Mousavi protested against what he said were many obvious violations.

He had been due to hold a news conference, but police at the the building turned journalists away, saying it was cancelled.

This is the part that makes me believe that the elections were a sham. The sitting government "wins", and then muzzles the opposition. Something about this stinks.

FTFA: He had been due to hold a news conference, but police at the the building turned journalists away, saying it was cancelled.

Yeah. I see where this is going. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

Listerine: Can't wait till we bomb this dangerous country! Gunna be so much fun!

Do they even have electricity yet? Why do we even care what they do?

What do you mean, do they even have electricity? We're talking about Iran, not North Korea.

Sure. Suuure he did, Subby.

I can imagine everyone being real happy with this one.

Alphax: Listerine: Can't wait till we bomb this dangerous country! Gunna be so much fun!

Do they even have electricity yet? Why do we even care what they do?

What do you mean, do they even have electricity? We're talking about Iran, not North Korea.

I know, I was just being silly. I just don't see how Ahmastuffballots is the next Hitler like some people think.

Alphax: "The Avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

FTFY

You guys better farking bomb them, quick!

It's a complete outrage. The election was completely rigged. Although there wasn't any sort of accurate polling, compare this to when Khatami won in 97 and 01 with an even-higher majority of the votes. Did the people become less progressive since then? Certainly not. Did the conservative candidate become more appealing? Ahmadinejad has wrecked their economy and is a disgrace.

The basiji have hijacked the election. Death to them all.

Yeah, I understand the claims were initially that Ahamamamama won by 80% of the vote, but it was quickly deflated; then the state security apparati went into full lockdown on the populous. I understand some of the margins for Ahmamama would've been akin to mysteriously seeing a 3-to-1 margin for McCain over Obama in places like Madison, WI.

Scary stuff.

Keyser_Soze_Death: Alphax: "The Avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

FTFY

Doh! You're right. I must now bow my head in shame.

Nice to see that election fraud isn't unique to the USA.

Hibno: Wow. This makes me feel really bad. Ahmadinejad is the world's biggest troll.





I always thought he was a gnome but I can see the resemblance now.

Civil war, anyone?

I said it yesterday and I'll say it again:

So much for unclenching your fist, Iran. When you had the chance to show the world you didn't want to be represented by a misguided man, you stuck by him.

The president's speech the other day apparently deserves a FAIL tag.

Ahmadinejad and his band of thugs have just pissed off the wrong people. Rafsanjani and Khatami are two of the most influential and important people in Iran. They will not take this sitting down. This could in fact threaten the integrity of the revolution entirely.

Here is my skepticism:


^From this 538 article (new window)^

Look at the trends of the polling. Look at the final results they are officially claiming (63% for Ahmadinejad, 34% for Mousavi). The official count is basically claiming that basically no one voted for the other two candidates, that ALL their votes went to Ahmadinejad, and support for Mousavi has diminished in the last few days before the election instead of growing like all reports seemed to suggest.

Pretty fishy.

now all the neocons can quit saying that the president has no power and go back to using him as a boogeyman.

Bocanegra: The president's speech the other day apparently deserves a FAIL tag.

Obama's Cairo speech was great, but what made me groan was yesterday's statement he gave. Basically congratulating the Iranians for voting for change, then almost congratulating himself for starting the change with his speech the week before. It's as close to "mission accomplished" as we've seen in six years and made him look like an idiot.

Keyser_Soze_Death: Alphax: "The Avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

FTFY

How will this end?

"in fire"

Alphax: What do you mean, do they even have electricity? We're talking about Iran, not North Korea.

so yes on power no on toilet paper ?

And thus begins the countdown to Israel's attack. They might have been willing to take a "wait and see" position, but business as usual in Iran means that all options are back on the table.

wolvernova: Obama's Cairo speech was great, but what made me groan was yesterday's statement he gave. Basically congratulating the Iranians for voting for change, then almost congratulating himself for starting the change with his speech the week before. It's as close to "mission accomplished" as we've seen in six years and made him look like an idiot.

Do you have a link to this?

wolvernova: Obama's Cairo speech was great, but what made me groan was yesterday's statement he gave. Basically congratulating the Iranians for voting for change, then almost congratulating himself for starting the change with his speech the week before. It's as close to "mission accomplished" as we've seen in six years and made him look like an idiot.

funny I didn't get any "mission accomplished vibe" from it.

"We are excited to see what appears to be a robust debate taking place in Iran and obviously, after the speech that I made in Cairo, we tried to send a clear message that we think there's a possibility of change and, ultimately, the election is for the Iranians to decide but just as what has been true in Lebanon, what can be true in Iran as well, is that you're seeing people looking at new possibilities [sic], and whoever ends up winning the election in Iran, the fact that there's been a robust debate hopefully will help advance our ability to engage them in new ways."


Nope no mission accomplished anywhere in there. Good thing you qualified that declarative with an "almost" or one might think you were being disingenuous.

Really, they need to learn from some of the more experienced democracies out there. If you're going to rig an election, don't make it so blatently obvious. You only need to win 50% of the vote to automatically be named president there, so why make an obvious lie of 60-something%? You're just daring them to riot at that point.

Hobodeluxe: now all the neocons can quit saying that the president has no power and go back to using him as a boogeyman.

Even worse: Israeli officials: Iran vote shows growing threat (new window)

Bocanegra: wolvernova: Obama's Cairo speech was great, but what made me groan was yesterday's statement he gave. Basically congratulating the Iranians for voting for change, then almost congratulating himself for starting the change with his speech the week before. It's as close to "mission accomplished" as we've seen in six years and made him look like an idiot.

Do you have a link to this?

Link (new window)

Listerine: Can't wait till we bomb this dangerous country! Gunna be so much fun!

Do they even have electricity yet? Why do we even care what they do?

Christ, you're one informed guy, aren't you.

Hobodeluxe: Nope no mission accomplished anywhere in there. Good thing you qualified that declarative with an "almost" or one might think you were being disingenuous.

I didn't recall exactly what he said, it was the vibe I got. But yeah, re-reading it, that's not what he said. But it was a prematurely stupid thing he said. Then again, at that moment, I was sure Mousavi was going to win.

So, any proof of election fraud or is this just a huge wank session?

heh

spamdog: So, any proof of election fraud or is this just a huge wank session?

To anybody that has been keeping track of this election and knows a little bit about Iran, this absolutely wreaks of fraud and manipulation. So no, just a few hours after the fact, I do not have "proof" on hand. Do you have proof that this wasn't fraud, or did you just want to have your own wank session?

wolvernova:

it was the vibe I got.

Goin' with the gut, eh? Mavericky.

wolvernova:

wreaks

Ad homonym.

wolvernova: Do you have proof that this wasn't fraud, or did you just want to have your own wank session?

Well, considering how much of the thread is filled with your spunk, I thought no harm would be done by a little counter-wanking in your face.

It's reek, by the way. Reek.

SherKhan: Ad homonym.

Wouldn't that be ad homophone?

Listerine: Alphax: Listerine: Can't wait till we bomb this dangerous country! Gunna be so much fun!

Do they even have electricity yet? Why do we even care what they do?

What do you mean, do they even have electricity? We're talking about Iran, not North Korea.

I know, I was just being silly. I just don't see how Ahmastuffballots is the next Hitler like some people think.

Not the next Hitler, but...

Iran has partnered with Syria, N. Korea, and Venezuela (an Axis of Assholes, if you will) in many things, including the transmission of weapons and related tech.
Iran funds and runs Hezbollah, Hamas, and much of the Iraqi insurgency.
Iran's government has had a long-stated goal of wiping out Israel (like it or not, one of the West's strongest allies)
Saudi Arabia and other Arab states are afraid of a regional Persian hegemony

Now, the benefits:
Iranians, on the whole, are very progressive and pro-Western for the region (and in general)
The Persians have long history of being a relatively benign regional power or superpower (again, for the era and the region)
The Islamic Revolution, despite its legion of deadly flaws, was one of the few functioning democracies in the area (the others being, obviously, Turkey and Israel)

This election result suborns the benefits and enhances the negatives. Unlike a lot of people, I don't begrudge the Iranians nuclear weapons - they are within range of many nuclear states (Israel, Pakistan, India, Russia) that have been or are their opposition. However, with Ahmadinejad in power, the weapons are less likely to be used defensively and more likely to be propagated to their puppets.

spamdog: So, any proof of election fraud or is this just a huge wank session?

"It's Iran" isn't good enough?

Did they start using Diebold machines?

Grungehamster 2009-06-13 09:30:15 AM
Here is my skepticism:

Nah, that only shows that their pollsters studied in Florida and Ohio.


Looks to me like they're getting the hang of democracy pretty good over there.