https://pjmedia.com/michaelledeen/2009/09/21/the-death-spiral-of-the-islamic-republic-iii/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usThu, 11 Jun 2026 08:19:04 -0400<![CDATA[Marx would have delighted in the events of the 18th, all over Iran.  Groucho, that is, for on the 18th the supreme leader and all his co-conspirators were transformed from figures of awe to objects of ridicule.  As Machiavelli likes to remind us, the most dangerous thing for any leader is to earn the contempt of his followers, and the Iranian people made it luminously clear that they would no longer be intimidated.  The regime had launched a vicious repression following the challenges to the &#8220;election results&#8221; of June 12th.  For a hundred days they had killed, raped, tortured and threatened.  In the runup to the 18th, the stern face of the leader of the Revolutionary Guards had appeared on television and his confident voice had been heard on the radio, warning that anyone who dared wear green, or carry protest signs, or chant criticism of the Islamic Republic, would be treated &#8220;very harshly.&#8221;  His words were like so much spittle in a storm; among the many chants in the streets that day, you could hear &#8220;rape, murder and torture will not silence us.&#8221;]]>Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:59:16 -0400<![CDATA[Michael Ledeen]]>https://pjmedia.com/michael-ledeen/2009/09/21/the-death-spiral-of-the-islamic-republic-iii-n186604