Johann Hari appeals for greater support for the Iranian students and rightly criticises those on the left who are reluctant to back the democrats for fear of being on the same side as George Bush.
In response Chris Bertram thinks many western leftists may well be more interested in George Bush but doubts they are actually hostile to the Iranian democracy movement. I think he is right and this at least is an improvement on other recent liberation movements that the anti-American elements on the left have opposed. Chris also makes some other good points about how the left got the 1979 Iranian revolution so badly wrong.
And now a question? There are a lot of sites linking to Iranian weblogs and so on which is great for us to get insight into the struggle. But what about practical solidarity? Is there anything set up where we can give serious help to these people? I’d rather give my money to help Iranian democrats than bloggers on the scrounge wouldn’t you? Any ideas?
Oh and here is a beautiful poem from Iranian Cyrus Mahan entitled A New Flag is Declared Read the brief bio at the bottom.
(Thanks Magnus)
