Re: [Marxism] Iran crackdown

[Walter Lippmann <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rod asked if there is any evidence that the leaders
of the Islamic Republic of Iran were using the same
methods to defend their country as the leaders of
the Cuban Revoludion did at an earlier time and to
be direct, there is, of course, no such evidence. 

Let's keep a few basic facts in mind, por favor:

Cuba had a socialist revolution in the early 1960s.
Iran had a nationalist political revolution in 1979.
Cuba is therefore no longer a capitalist society.
Iran is therefore today still a capitalist society.

Why would anyone think that a capitalist society led
by a conservative, nationalist and theocratic class
should use the same methods to defend itself as does
a Marxist-led revolutionary socialist leadership?

So to repeat and be clear here, there is no evidence
that the Shiite Islamic leadership of Iran is today
following the Marxist and revolutionary political
approach of the leadership of the Cuban Revolution.

A chicken cannot lay ducks eggs.
A duck cannot lay chickens eggs.

Still, the theologically conservative leadership of the Islamic
Republic of Iran doesn't need a meterologist to know which way
the wind blows. Thus, to them, developing closer relations with
Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba are how they seek support on the
international arena. The massive propaganda drive against Iran 
in the Western media resonates and has its impact, including on 
the political left today.

With Washington publicly pouring tens of millions of dollars into
destabilizing campaigns inside of Iran, as it is doing in Cuba, the
Iranian government treats those it suspects of ties with Washington
in the way any country would treat traitors. Cuba has been faced 
with campaigns from Washington to foment regime for many years. 

In 2003, you'll recall, Cuba arrested and imprisoned opponents who 
were being organized and paid by Washington. Arresting and jailing
political opponents isn't exactly what you would call "increasing
democracy", is it? Cuba has a one-party political system, which is
also a limitation on democratic rights. That one-party system has
its roots in the teachings of Jose Marti. Recently, the Venezuelan
government took away the broadcasting license for the opposition's
most effective television station. An international hue and cry 
about democratic rights has been raging against the government of
Venezuela as a result. 

One can generalize here: countries who are under attack frequently
limit the democratic rights of those it perceives to be working
for their enemies. They might not do what you would do, but that
is what they do. We aren't in a position to affect these events
greatly, but our first responsibility is to try to understand
what is going on.


Walter Lippmann
Los Angeles, California
===============================================================

Creating the Party was extremely signficant
http://www.walterlippmann.com/docs1212.html


Iran, Cuba sign 29 MoUs on economic, commercial cooperation
Tehran, June 16, IRNA
Iran-Cuba-Cooperation

http://www2.irna.ir/en/news/view/menu-236/0706162411165333.htm

The Islamic Republic of Iran and Cuba signed on Saturday 13 commercial pacts
and 16 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to expand economic cooperation
between the two countries.

The agreements were signed at the closing session of the 12th Iran-Cuba
Joint Economic Commission in Havana.

The session was attended by Iran's Minister of Industries and Mines Ali-Reza
Tahmasbi and Cuban Cabinet Minister Ricardo Cabrisas.

It was chaired by Tahmasbi who later met with Cuban acting President Raul
Castro.

At the meeting, Tahmasbi and Castro both admitted that Tehran-Havana
relations were at an excellent level.

The Cuban acting president highlighted the two sides common stands in
condemning unilateralism and hegemony of big powers and voiced the readiness
of his country for promotion of all-out economic, commercial, scientific and
industrial cooperation with Iran.

He also underlined the importance of expanding multilateral cooperation
between the Latin American countries and Iran.

Expansion of economic cooperation between Iran and Cuba should be in line
with the expansion of political ties between the two states, he said.

The Cuban official voiced satisfaction with the increase in the volume of
trade exchange between the two countries from 20 to 200 million Euro which
is to further rise to 500 million Euro in the future.

Tahmasbi, for his part, conveyed the warm greetings of President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad to the Cuban acting president and lauded Cuban officials for
adopting a principled stand on Iran's legitimate right to access peaceful
nuclear energy.

Iranian businessmen are to actively participate in Cuba's infrastructural
projects, he underlined.

He expressed the hope that the existing obstacles such as double taxation
and preferential tariffs would be removed as soon as possible to help
promote trade cooperation between the two countries.

The Iranian delegation conferred with a number of Cuban officials during
their visit to the country on expansion of economic cooperation between
Tehran and Havana.


=======================================================
Dear Walter:
As I understood it it some years back, when Cuba was threatened with 
"regime change," Cuba increased democracy, it armed the working class,
it opened the universities, the people of Cuba were involved in the 
defence effort. Not so? Is there evidence hidden from us poor mortals 
that would indicate Iran is following *that* path?
--rod


================================
WALTER LIPPMANN
Editor-in-Chief, CubaNews
writer - photographer - activist
http://www.walterlippmann.com
================================

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