Iran has a free election and elects a moderate who says This victory is a victory of wisdom, a victory of moderation, a victory of growth and awareness and a victory of commitment over extremism and ill-temper, while the riot police in Turkey use rubber bullets and teargas to breakup demonstrators in a public park. What is the world coming to?
The word “moderate” gives pause for thought. Turkey is always refered to in the news media’s narrative as a moderate muslem nation. Yet it is tear-gassing its citzens. Is it moderate because it uses gas instead of bullets? Is it moderate becasue the people are protesting a land grab, not for regime change?
Is the new Iranian president truly moderate, or is he simply more moderate than his predessessor? That predessessor wanted to wipe Isreal off the face of the earth. Does this new fellow only want to throw all the Jews in concentration camps?
Good question, Malcolm. I guess it revolves around what we call moderate.You say that Ahmadinejad “wanted to wipe Isreal off the face of the earth.” Is the fact that Israel wants to wipe Palestine off the face of the earth more moderate than what Ahmadinejad wants? Iran’s new leader sure talks more moderately and, in my limited experience, people who talk moderately are more likely to act moderately.