http://www.aljazeera.com/indep...-200108090421877.html

...But in December 2019, the government's victory over desperate demonstrators sounded strangely hollow. The supreme leader, who had encouraged the violent clampdown, appeared to falter in his pugnacity and ended up calling the victims of the riots "martyrs". The regime seemed to have survived yet another challenge. But its legitimacy had worn dangerously thin and public revulsion with corruption, inefficiency, economic depression and political isolation was at an all-time high.

And then came a strong, bracing wind to fill the sails of the Iranian theocrats and lift them from their doldrums. A drone appeared from the clear blue sky above Baghdad International Airport and pulverised the convoy carrying the most popular military leader in the history of the Islamic Republic. It was even better than that. The victim happened to be on a diplomatic mission to effect a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

To have such a paragon of peace and heroism assassinated by some joystick assassin working for the "Great Satan" was the stuff of cheap right-wing movies. Qassem Soleimani was the commander of the Quds Force, the elite overseas arm of the Islamic Republican Guard Corps who had gained his accolades during the Iran-Iraq war and had then reinvented himself as the man who had kept ISIL (ISIS) out of Iran. He was called a "living martyr" by the Supreme Leader and the people knew him for his spartan lifestyle, incorruptibility and humility.

Despite the common misgivings of Iranians about their government's regional adventurism and needless meddling in Arab politics, Soleimani was not reviled. Rather, he was seen as a soldier doing his job.

The assassination of Soleimani galvanised the population into a state of collective effervescence. The crowds that attended his funeral processions over the last few days have been compared with those that gathered to bid farewell to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini three decades ago.

And then, President Trump delivered the icing on the cake by threatening to bomb Iranian cities and destroy Persian cultural heritage. Thanks to Trump's bumbling cluelessness, the extremely unpopular supreme leader and his unsavoury lieutenants are now tearfully leading huge crowds of mourners. People once again are chanting "Death to America" like they mean it.

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

The lack of intelligence, and I use that word on many levels is very interesting. Soleimani was on a diplomatic mission to Saudi Arabia? The Israelis said they had no problem knowing where he was at any moment, but the difficulty came in knowing where he would be next. I think we can safely say our friends in the kingdom helped us out there. The next question was why he was targeted after just leaving a diplomatic mission and is this the "razor thin" justification for doing this now? Once trump tweeted his way into the hearts and minds of the Iranian propagandists with the threat to destroy cultural sites, combined with the unifying event of Soleimani's numerous and even stampeding funerals, we basically gave the old regime we supposedly hated and wanted out a dose of viagra and HD pictures if the their tears at the hands if the great satan. This looks really stupid in hindsight. It should have looked really stupid when it was presented but it was. Trump jumped at the chance of becoming a war time president and shared his fantasy blood lust with the people from his base who do not go where doubt abounds. That's a kind way of saying they let him do their thinking while they do the agreeing and "support."

But despite all of the high profile back patting and recent recycling of the same chicken hawks, the brilliant minds that spent the last 15 years describing how the failure and lies that the led to the Iraq war was really a success, there are problems this kind of assassination. There are people who understand the long term consequences beyond the next election. To this, trump basically told the senate what George Bush told the press. Don't question it, report it.

"One of the messages that we received from the briefers was: Do not debate, do not discuss the issue of appropriateness of further military intervention against Iran. And that if you do, you'll be emboldening Iran," MIke Lee added. The esteemed senator from Georgia went further and said that anybody who questions this Assassination loves terrorists and hates America. These Democrat America haters would mourn Soleimani over our gold star family. His ironic lack of memory for Trumps bashing gold star families, John McCain who had the cowardice to get caught and trump's own nearly life threatening bout with bone spurs seemed lost on the fan boys.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Yes rally the hardliners and the supposed liberals in Iran.

But this is gerat conspiracy. Why now? Was Solemani trying to align arab entities to include Jared's bros the Saudis? Boy we wouldn't want that.

Speculating that the kingdom thought this guy was dangerous to them and let the US take him out.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

The Kingdom of Jesus or the Kingdom of Allah?

Or the Kingdumb of fat a$$ real estate hawking swindlers?

All said and done the hardliners are in a far more secure position in Iran now that they were a couple weeks ago when it looked like some reform might be possible.

There has to be more to the decision to assassinate him now; or is it truly that trump just chose the bat shit crazy option from the menu with no adults in the room?

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

Iran holds sway over Iraq with Russian backing?

Wow, that's pure genius!

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I was right.

Unlike the nation meddling of the odumbo regime where they destroyed Egypt, Libya, Syria and tried to influence the Israeli election!

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Romans 8;18-32 John 3;16-18

If you want to turn that supposedly critical eye of yours to today and contribute to this topic, go right ahead.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

Obama stabilized the situation with Iran. Trump comes in and proves that the USA can't be trusted, starts whacking foreign officials like it's a godfather movie, and we end up with a revitalized hard line regime in Iran who are hell bent now on getting nukes.

One thing Obama AND Trump have shown the bad guys of the world is that there's no use negotiating or trusting the USA - getting the bomb is the only way to be safe from the Americans.

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti

Trump sought peace with Iran. He went against every republican and most pro Israeli Democrat's and got it done. It's now been undone and here we are.

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"One of the reasons why propaganda tries to get you to hate government is because it's the one existing institution in which people can participate to some extent and constrain tyrannical unaccountable power." Noam Chomsky.

rt

I am willing to wager that Iran and Pakistan are in serious final negotiations.

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

I would be. NK too. We've proven to the world that disarmament is a death sentence.

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“It is the heart of US policy to use fascism to preserve capitalism while claiming to be saving democracy from communism “ - Michael Parenti