The Failed Frontal Assault of Fareed Zakaria
Now comes Fareed Zakaria to denounce the “fantasy” of an Iranian revolution. His main target is Sen. John McCain, but while he’s at it Zakaria unloads on Reuel Gerecht, Bret Stephens, and “the neoconservatives.” He is so pessimistic about the prospects for the Green Movement that he is willing to entertain the possibility that Ahmadinejad actually won the phony elections of June 12, 2009, and he rejects the very idea that the Greens represent the majority of the Iranian people.
He isn’t very convincing. Indeed, Zakaria’s tirade isn’t even supported by his own evidence. He cites Mr. Akbar Ganji, who was recently honored by Zakaria and others at the Cato Institute in Washington, as an authoritative voice on things Iranian. Which is a bit peculiar, since Ganji disagrees with him:
Iran is the only country in the region that if fair, free, and competitive elections were held today, democratic forces that believe in the separation of religion from the state would be victorious.
Which would seem to effectively demolish Zakaria’s claim that the Iranian government speaks for the majority of the people. Zakaria goes on to argue that there will be no revolution in Iran in the near future, and that any comparison with the likes of the “velvet revolutions of Eastern Europe” is just plain wrong, because, while the Europeans had nationalism, religion, and democracy on their side, the Iranian Greens only have democracy.
Does he not know that leading ayatollahs are in open revolt against the Iranian regime? Does he not know that even many Grand Ayatollahs — yesterday the late Ayatollah Montazeri, today Ayatollahs Boroujerdi and Sane’i — are vilified by the regime? Does he not know that the leaders of the opposition speak in the name of Islam?
Apparently not.
Zakaria isn’t very careful with the targets of his scorn, either. He seems to think that those of us who support democratic revolution in Iran want to bomb the place, or at least strangle it with sanctions. “ …Those hoping to liberate Iranians are the same people urging punitive sanctions and even military force against Iran.” But this, too, is false. I have always opposed the use of military force against Iran, and Sen. McCain was very clear that he wanted America’s moral power, not our armed forces, deployed in support of the Iranian revolution.
Pathetic.
I have to wonder, though, if the window for the middle way you describe isn’t closing rapidly, thanks to the fecklessness of both Bush and Obama’s policies toward Iran. Soon we’ll be left with only the choice of doing nothing, or going to war.
yes phineas. we may be stuck with the Sarkozy dilemma: “Iran with the bomb, or bomb Iran.”
We might first see that window closing with an Israeli warship firing on a ship trying to run the Gaza blockade.
Once Iran “gets the Bomb”, it would be very easy for them to give one to any terrorist group that might want to hit Israel. They get a mushroom cloud over Tel Aviv- and get to show “clean hands” afterward. (“It wasn’t ours! It must have been a Russian nuke! You know they’re for sale!” etc.)
Which means that the minute Iran has a working bomb, Israel cannot risk letting a “blockade runner” land in Gaza. Period. There are only a couple of ways Iran could directly attack Israel with nuclear weapons. There are a large number of ways Hamas, etc., could do it.
And once a “physics package” is in Gaza, it becomes very easy to get it into Israel, one way or another.
Has anyone checked the Doomsday Clock recently? (Bearing in mind that those who “wind” it are far more worried about the threat presented by our nuclear weapons than those in the hands of people who don’t like us, of course.)
clear ether
eon
Fareed Zakaria and other like him would sooner see a Flynt Leverett-style reapproachment for Iran. How sad and pathetic it is that in a country that is supposed to be the beacon of democracy and human rights, people don’t have the guts to stand for those ideas.
thanks josh. for those of you who don’t know him, josh sharyar has long been one of the most careful and thoughtful bloggers on things Iranian. with a bit of luck, he’ll become an American. I sure hope so.
Forgive the puppet for he does not know why he dances. Seek out the puppeteer and the truth shall set you free.
And this is not a poetry contest.
Michael, you’re of the correct vintage to remember how Khomeini emerged successful after the Shah was overthrown. For, it was hardly a one man show, which resulted in a brutally high price being paid by Persia in Khomeini’s experiment.
Who were the people Khomeini could count on? There are people that Ayatollahs Boroujerdi and Sane’i can count on.
So, don’t be at all surprised to see a similar playbook used by those who bring about the ousting of Khameini, et al., as used by those who brought in Khomeini.
The only people set to get rid of the Iranian dictators, that parade as religious, are the “revolutionary guards”: and they are the same or worse.
In any event the US government works tirelessly to keep the current tyrants in power in Iran, and has since we brought them to power in 1979.
I remember Zakarear. At Newsweek he clearly prayed for the downfall of America; His point of view is easy to understand and predictable: bash America and glorify murderous thugs.
What on earth happened to Fareed Zacharia? I never agreed with him on everything, but I always felt that he gave great perspective, and was an insightful writer. Only a few short years ago, he wrote the excellent book “The Future of Freedom”, which gave me great insights.
Lately, he has become just as flighty as the rest of the “elites”.
The intellectual left is about to be tossed out of power after only after 2 years. The window is closing and they are losing it.
Dear Michael, today the big tragedy is when you see some of the Western leaders, diplomats, academics, pundits, journalists who come and praise the evil corrupt regimes, supposedly thinking that they are helping the oppressed people. By this way they just bless the regimes terrible acts. Unfortunately, this sort of authors and journalists of the sanctimonious lies sellers has become the favored instruments of terrorists and to the corrupt tyrants. Even the American media have largely become deception-based institutions. Today shamefully the American journalist who has made himself a good tool advocating the tyrants and others of that ilk, where spreading their lies and lies of their media.
I would like to tell Mr. Zakaria!
Mr. Zakaria, maybe the Iranian regime has many, many opponents. Might also have a millions of hypocritical supporters! it is quite the same case with Saddam Hussain regime, where Saddam also had a millions of supporters of fakes and hypocrites, and after all, as you know, Saddam regime overthrown and OVER. But Mr. Zakaria, it’s undeniable that, the vast majority of these supporters are highly afraid and frightened from the horrible consequences of antagonizing this regime, which might lead to death! In fact, these regimes overwhelmingly remain hated and despised by their people.
As for the Iran’s enormous oil revenues! it is not in service of Iranians absolutely, rather it’s in service of evil military arsenal and to produce nuclear weapons. These enormous revenues became in service of jihad against “the Great Satan” and its followers of “Zionists and Crusaders” through supporting the Global Terrorism via their proxies of a “cult of death” of Arab and Muslim terrorist organizations.
Mr. Zakaria, as you have pointed “The Green Movement has only one: democracy”.
I think the Greens Movement is represent the vast majority of the Iranian people and this “one” or i.e democracy and freedom, are the holy thing must be supported by the West. The democracy revolution needs your moral support. The oppressed people need support of your blind administration even if requires using the hard power.
Mr. Zakaria, this fanatic regime forms a real threat on the West; above all it is a real threat on his people.
Mr. Zakaria, I think YOU and your Socialist President”, both still need to learn A LOT of your elders or betters in Washington!!!???
Jassem Othman, Syrian, the Land of Holocaust, Poland.
There is something very fishy about this guy. Who does he work for?
The passivity, the fake hand wringing about any action in Iran …serves
one purpose..more delay of action. And that of course
serves the regime’s need for more time to complete their nuclear program.
When Zakaria began worrying that a bombing campaign to take down the nuclear
program and target Amadinejad might hurt some “Greens”..the game is over.
If you were part of the Iranian resistance you would gladly take the chance
of getting in harms way if only to see Amadinejad blown to Allah.
Sir, all you need to know about Zackaria is that he is a muslim. As was the former head of the UN – AIEA who covered for Iran while they built their nukes. Eventually the world will wake up to the duplicity of islam and the evil intent thereof, but only when it will be too late.
You said more than all the other posts put together: “…all you need to know about Zakaria is that he is a Muslim”.
No one, who in the twenty-first century, follows the teachings of a seventh century madman, who exemplified virtually all of the worst traits of humankind, can be trusted.
There are those who say that Islam must change to reflect the realities of the modern world. Islam cannot and will not change, but Muslims, if they are courageous and seek to join the modern world, can change. They can change to another religion, virtually any other religion, or if they choose to no religion at all, but as Muslims there is no possibility that they can contribute to a better world. None.
Corporations, by their very nature, are only accountable to their share holders. Oil/gas companies are no different. The tragic events in the Gulf of Mexico have sharpened this reality in the minds of many in our country. Now why would anyone think that corporations would behave differently in the fascist climate of the Islamic Republic of Iran? So long as loopholes exists in the various sanction regimes against the tyrannical theocrats ruling Iran – which is clearly the case, the people of that country will continue to suffer and the people of the world will indeed continue to pay the price in treasure and blood.
Secretary Clinton promised “crippling sanctions”. I don’t see them. President Obama expected an olive branch. I see a clenched fist instead! Neda and scores of others are dead. Thousands are imprisoned. Yet, I see no serious mention of abuses of human rights in Iran and no Interpol arrest warrants for the butchers of Tehran.
I don’t know the reason behind Zakaria’s comments, but he clearly he does not have a firm grasp on the realities of Iranian politics.
In the interest of full disclosure – I voted for President Obama – and I am yet to see the promised “change”. I do see however a sliding housing market, a steady unemployment number, inequality within America (I’m a gay American), a broken immigration system, two ongoing wars, and I’m afraid the President is inadvertently setting the stage for a third theater of war – this time with Iran.
Farid Zakaria is wrong about Iranian and his information comes from some Iranian reporters which they hav lack of knowledege about poor people and middle class and how much they hate the regime and as always Iranian want the freedom and they are only silenced by point of gun and since western countries busy with nuclear issues and they forget about suffering people and I think it is the time all western counteries if they are serious about human rights and freedom, they should freeze all the accounts belong to all members of regime which they have bilions of dollars in england and usa and canada and swiss banks and etc,by freezing and Confiscating these people by one condition just leave Iran and even iranian will be happy to forget about all the money these murders
taking away from iranain nation.this is only solution to get ride of this saitanic regime.
Farid Zakaria is wrong about Iranian and his information comes from some Iranian reporters which they hav lack of knowledege about poor people and middle class and how much they hate the regime and as always Iranian want the freedom and they are only silenced by point of gun and since western countries busy with nuclear issues and they forget about suffering people and I think it is the time all western counteries if they are serious about human rights and freedom, they should freeze all the accounts belong to all members of regime which they have bilions of dollars in england and usa and canada and swiss banks and etc,by freezing and Confiscating these accounts,with one condition just leave Iran and even iranian will be happy to forget about all the money these murders taking away from iranain nation.this is only solution to get ride of this saitanic regime.
I don’t think Fareed has changed substantially. He has always been of the school of:
“All disputes can be resolved. Mideast and Muslim radicals might appear to be radical, but this is a bargaining position and expression of anger. Acknowledge the West’s failings, end ‘the occupation’ and restore the masses’ sense of injury by the West and Israel, and everything falls into place.”
Responding to ehunter – I agree about the scaliness. Iran certainly has a lobby in Washington, smaller than Saudi Arabia’s, but also effective. Some of their hired guns or apologists are in the media.
I’m shocked – somebody still read Newsweek?
dear Mr. Ledeen: nice article. as you know I am from Iran
the movement is very much alive. I talk to family almost
everyday. I talked to my sister the day before and it
was the first anniversarry onf Neda’s death.
remmeber the young lady who was shot in the head…
My sister told me all hell was breaking loose there.
and today Mousavi out right called for separation
of state and church.
below please find a link. two top generals of revolutionery gaurds
defected to Turky. very intresting..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2010/jun/11/iran-revolutionary-guard-defectors
Michael, I am sorry that my English is not good but I taught that I have to answer to Zakaria. you are allow to edit my comment before publish it.
I don’t know what Zakaria is thinking. today we are in digital era and people around the world can see what is going on in Iran. Mousavi one of Green Movement leader has provided 370 pages documentary about fraud-able election.
Hashemi Rafsanjani number 2 revolutionary leader threatened regime and Khamenei that he will resign form his position and want go abroad just last week during his interview with communication management magazine. many grand ayatollahs are against leaders that you have not seen before specially after anniversary for Imam Khomeni death.
there is big challenge between Ahmadinejad and Larigani brothers whom rule the judicial and legislation branches because Azad University a private institute with more that one million students.
Khamenie leader of country and his supporter like Ahmadi nejad became more and more isolated from inside and outside. even Gen. Safavi ex commander of IRGC and Ahmad Morteza Nabavi a extremist confessed that leader is alone and nobody is trying to help him. Ahmadinejad was fired by many his cleric supporters because he talk about Hijab and ….
at this time Zakaria says Ahmadinejad can use religion and nationalism against democracy?! this is a big mistake.
If Ahmadinejad and his leader have majority why they bring 65000 anti riot, Police, Revolutionary guards, Black shirts and etc, in street and made Tehran capitol of country like a military base?
Ahmadinejad and Khamenie said Mousavi had 13 million supporter and Ahmadinejad had 24 million and most of Moosavi supporters now did not follow him and support Ahmadinejad. it means now Ahmadinejad has 40 million supporters. why leaders of country didn’t allow Mousavi small group of supporter come to street? why they are so sensitive about Mousavi supporter? why Mousavi supportes all are educated and from varieties of Iranian people but Ahmadinejad supporter are not. why Ahmadinejad supporter have handcuff, tear gas and batoon and truck without tag?
I believe many journalists like Zakaria closed their eyes to Iranian people.
What Fareed fails to realize, and it’s the case with most who think that supporting the Iranian people in their fight to overthriow this regime is a “fantasy”, is that things have changed dramatically since Amadinejad got “millions” of votes in the election. Unfortunately, for the Green movement and all those who have already sacrificed their lives and their freedom to fight for change…the time may have passed now and our ability to make any difference may well be a “fantasy”…
…but it wasn’t because that was the case then, it was becuase we FAILED to help at the very moment it might have made a difference.
And as is the case with most things concerning Obama…history (or the ability to MAKE history) passes him by, and he REACTS to events with TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE!!
At first I just thought Zakaria a useful idiot but he is much, much worse.
He can’t wait for the “The Post American World” and does all he can to bring it about without delay. (Remember when Obama went around toting “The Post American World” in 2008 …. and again in 2009. Gee, either Dear Leader is an incredibly slow reader or he was sending a message).
Is it possible he is sympathetic to Iran because he may be shia Muslim himself (even though he claims of secular upbringing, his parents are Muslims)and as such he may be opposed to bombing as well as sanctions!!!
Most likely he is of Sunni origin, but I believe he is of the secularist, appeasing school of ‘Why can’t we all just get along’ – in which regimes like the Khameini/Ahmedinjead one need to be ‘listened to’ – just as Obama is listening hard to Erdogan, Abbas, Hamas, Egypt etc.
Then again, maybe Zakaria is privately a fervent believer in the Ummah and is on taqiyya patrol.
Zakaria,Eugene Robinson, EJ Dionne…all ghost writers for each other. Does anyone take these fools seriously?
Thank you, TO: “KCShakedown”, “20. Menachem Ben Yakov”, AND SO MANY OTHERS:
Rather easily, Zakaria plays so very many for “useful idiots”.
But, Evil is just not all that interesting, . . . if he is as his every motion presents—thoroughly duplicity and without redemption—can we just say a few words and move on—puleeez—leaving those who—with bated breath—would argue rationale into his destructive and silly notions, in the dust with him, . . . ?
The Iranian regime, and the Iranian nuclear program,
can both be put out of action without using anything
as obvious and indiscriminate as a missile from a UAV;
The only thing lacking is will on the part of the West.
The school of Red Herrings being used to camouflage
this fact (revolution, invasion, or nuclear attack)
is reminiscent of the scene in the movie ‘The Dead Zone’
wherein the cowardly President shields himself from
an assassin with the body of a child.
Zakaria belongs to the Helen Thomas school of journalism. He hosts a program, GPS , aired on CNN.
On March 21 , he opened with a segment regarding Israel. and its relations with the United States.
Prior to dialogue with a number of guests Mr. Zakaria offered his “ take “ on the current political climate.
Israel is “ not truly serious “ about “ its claims that Iran is an “ existential threat “.
Why , he asks, does Israel allow “ petty domestic considerations “ get in the way of warmer relations with Arab neighbors that also view Iran as a threat?
Mr. Zakaria asks why Israels “ motley collection of political parties “ is allowed to get in the way of peace efforts?
Zakaria then, with opprobrium never tossed at an Ahmadinejad or Chavez , called Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu a “ hack “.
Zakaria has neither the intellect or fair mindedness his enablers claim he has.
” Hack “is a word which comes to mind regarding his abilities.
He proves, once again, that talent and real intellect are not required for either financial success or popularity.
He gives the dim witted hope that they too, one day, may host a network television show of their own.
Sunday on his CNN tv show, Zakaria recommended a book, “Reset” by Stephen Kinzer, whose thesis is that it would best serve the US to abandon its alliances with the Sunni states AND Israel in favor of an alliance with Iran.
That about says it all….
If the US abandoned Israel and became allies with Iran, that would certainly spell the end of the Obama Regime. Would that move make the terrorists love us? I doubt it. Their goal would still be to destroy Israel and establish a caliphate in the Middle East.
The US would certainly also lose its allies around the world and Obama’s socialists would never win another election.
The first paragraph of Mr. Zakaria’s article states, in regards to John McCain, “The speech highlights one of the crucial failings of McCain’s worldview, one in which rhetoric replaces analysis and fantasy substitutes for foreign policy.”
I emailed Mr. Z and asked if he didn’t mean Mr. Obama’s worldview. Either that or in Zakaria’s world, up is down.
His world is upside down and I think Melanie Phillips documented it in her new book “The World Turned Upside Down”.
It seems that a big problem is that the world is being run by narcissists and other psychotics be they journalists or politicians.
Just look at the rubbish Tom Friedman is writing about Iran’s new partner, Turkey.
Michael, I really wonder!? I have been reading for you for many years, I have NEVER read or heard that you “Dr. Michael Ledeen” has urged or declared to use the military force against Iran or against another country, although the mullahs regime is at war with the USA, since the Ayatollah Khomeini had been declared in 1979 to combat the satanic influence everywhere on the earth.
Mr. Zakaria, I really don’t know what the WAR you talking about!? Mr. Zakaria, I think it’s very necessary to DISTINGUISH between military force that against TERRORISTS, and between the America’s moral power that was mentioned by the Great advocates of freedom and democracy (the advocates of the oppressed people), those who are struggling strongly to support the revolutions of freedom and democracy, that great revolutions that have been neglected surprisingly by the enemies of freedom and the enemies of Great America like (Obamaist Socialist Administration and other people of this corrupt sort.) America is the cradle of liberty and democracy while you are “anti” these sacred great aspects that have become the essence of the Western values.
In fact, Sen. McCain and his sort of the courageous people are a very very rare people and highly worthy of respect, while your sort is “wimps, sanctimonious, pathetic, lies sellers, moreover are shockingly accomplices to evil.” Maybe the destruction of the USA Greatness makes you rejoice and happy and maybe when the Americans get killed as well!?
In person, I deeply believe in using the Hard Power to bring down any evil corrupt regime, such as those regimes you do spreading their lies and lies of their media.
Jassem Othman
I hate to say this, but Fareed Zakaria’s outsized head, those evil eyes, his frozen toothy smile and rubbery lips always reminds me of one of those string puppets on the old ‘Thunderbirds’ kids show.
- IDIOCRACY ALERT!!
Zakaria was one of Jon Meacham’s brilliant hires, which have lost 70% of their circulation and so much revenue that they now face imminent bankruptcy unless the parent company (WaPo) can find a sucker (“puh-leeze, Mr. Soros, sir!”) to take it off their hands first.
He could have hired any mid-level bureaucrat from the State Department to bring the muddled message Zakaria offers, but they might not bring the ethnic bonus points toward his Diversity Merit Badge in the Young Pioneers.
I am in awe of the hubris of media pundits. I follow the chicago bulls (bear with me please). There are dozens of passionate fans who post on various bulls blogs who certainly know as much as just two sportswriters (for the Trib and Sun-Times) who devote the bulk of their careers to the team. Their knowledge and insights are beyond imagination, especially as they communicate with one another and build upon their collective insights. And this core group makes ALL of the national basketball writers look like dilettantes.
My point is that we live in an age of highly specialized, maximum-depth, communal knowledge. The F. Zakaria types flit from one “big think” topic to another, making their pronouncments and then moving on to the next crisis du jour. They are oblivious to the deep, deep well of expertise that has already staked a claim to each space, and so they look increasingly like the idiots that they are.
There are a few pundits who can pull this off, but mostly because they are modest in their aims, reserved in their opinions, narrow in the scope of what they have to say, and very careful with the words they choose. They build in consistency and recurring themes around core principles, and their reputations hold everything together. F. Zakaria is not now and never had been in this camp. He is a buffoon.
More generally, the era of the “smart guy who weighs in on all things important” is long past. Zakaria aspires to be something that no longer exists. He is fooled by his prominent perch in the media world into thinking that he is being counted upon by his readers to sort out all of the problems of the world.
The fantasy Zakaria accuses McCain of is his. He seems to be trying to convince us that reason will rule if only Israel would disappear and the U.S. is nowhere in sight. The Moslems kill each other in huge numbers every chance they get. Only their most represseive regimes keep the constant violent attacks under control with attacks of their own (killing tens of thousands). Our weakness is empowering them to rise up and try for their goal- a world caliphate.
Zakaria hasno clue, never did and is another useful idiot who wants to make a name for himself. It’s seriously as simple as that.
Oh you should not take Fareed too seriously. He is just a severe case of what is known in pakistan as,
“Khuda meherban, to gadha pehlwaan.” Loosely speaking, it means, “Even a donkey can become an Einstein, given that gods are smiling upon him.”
Fareed Zakaria is CNN’s and Newsweek’s and WaPo’s version of the obligatory ‘affirmative action player’ on the team. Very similar to christiana amanpour—they pour, but don’t really measure up.
Now, Joe Klein and such … ah seriously dangerous Leftists. Of course, Olberman’s insanity speaks for itself.
Zakaria couldn’t find his own buttocks with both hands and a GPS coordinate. Newsweek deserves him.
PJM’s Mr. Ledeen scooped Leon Wieseltier who wrote in The Washington Post of June 25, 2010:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/24/AR2010062404875.html
The realism of seeking democracy in Iran
By Leon Wieseltier
Friday, June 25, 2010; A17
In a false and heartless June 21 op-ed column, “The fantasy of an Iranian revolution,” Fareed Zakaria demonstrated — again — that he is the consummate spokesman for the shibboleths of the White House and for the smooth new worldliness, the at-the-highest-levels impatience with democracy and human rights as central objectives of our foreign policy, that now characterize advanced liberal thinking about America’s role in the world.
Zakaria expressed alarm that an excessive American concern for the resistance in Iran will lead us to war. He said he has found proof of such danger in “The Iranian Resistance and Us,” a piece by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that was published on the Web site of (we are so bad!) the New Republic this month. Zakaria said the article proves that as president McCain “would have tried to overthrow the government of Iran” because of his desire to “unleash America’s full moral power” against the regime. This is outrageous. McCain’s piece called on the United States “to support Iran’s people in changing the character of their government — peacefully, politically, on their own terms, in their own ways.” Is even this a liberal heresy? McCain did call for targeted sanctions, ferocious sanctions, against Iran’s human rights abusers. Is ferocity against even such villains too much to ask, too lacking in empathy and engagement? Who, precisely, is planning Operation Iranian Freedom? It is the paradoxical failure of Zakaria’s imagination that he conflates moral power with military power, democratization with shock and awe. He is yet another liberal whose worldview seems forever fixed by George W. Bush.
The joke in Zakaria’s column, and it is not funny, is that he seems to believe that he is an exemplary supporter of the Green Movement in Iran. He noted that he served on a committee that gave a prize to Akbar Ganji, an Iranian dissident. Good for him and good for Ganji. But ponder this sentence, a small jewel of apologetic writing: “Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may have actually lost the presidential election of 2009, but it was a close contest in which he got millions of votes.” Of course Ahmadinejad has support: That is why the struggle against him is a struggle. But it is wildly incorrect to claim, as Zakaria did, that only the regime has the power of religion and nationalism on its side. The contest between the dictators and the democrats is in fact a contest between different narratives of the Iranian nation. The religious establishment irreversibly fractured in the aftermath of the regime’s savage response to last year’s uprising. The invincible clerical-popular monolith that Zakaria portrayed does not exist.
This is not the first time that Zakaria has prettified and extenuated the Iranian regime. In an unforgettable Newsweek column published just a few weeks before Ahmadinejad stole the June 2009 presidential election and provoked the rebellion, Zakaria asserted that “everything you know about Iran is wrong.” He knew better. He knew that “the regime wants to be a nuclear power but could well be happy with a peaceful civilian program.” This was ludicrous then, and it is more ludicrous now. Zakaria knew also that “Iran isn’t a dictatorship.” Appearances deceive. Iran is “an oligarchy, with considerable debate and dissent within the elites.” How nice for the elites. See you in Davos.
The Khameini-Ahmedinejad “oligarchy” represses and imprisons and rapes and tortures and murders its own citizens. It also promotes theocracy and terrorism in its region and beyond. All this is pretty plain. Why is Zakaria so fearful that American foreign policy will respond to such a government with stringency and loathing? Perhaps he believes that President Obama’s policy of respect and accommodation will solve the nuclear problem and bring a measure of decency to the rulers of Iran, but there is no empirical basis for such a belief. It is a much greater fantasy than the “fantasy” that Zakaria deplores, which is no fantasy at all. Real realism consists of the recognition that nuclear peace and social peace in Iran will be reliably achieved only with the advent of democracy, and that since June 12, 2009, the advent of Iranian democracy is not an idle wish. Morally and strategically — this is one of those perplexities in which they go serendipitously together — President Obama’s refusal to strongly support the Iranian resistance against the Iranian tyranny is not prudent, it is perverse. But when democracy comes to Iran, Fareed Zakaria will plummily assure us that this was his dream all along.
The writer is literary editor of the New Republic.