Politics--ours and our Iranian friends'

Morningbrain, sometimes, comes late.  Today it happened while watching George Stephanopoulos interview Rick Perry about his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination.  Governor Perry, in addition to providing a great example of the “uh count,” also continued to astound with his mastery of the essentials of speech.  Now, here in South Carolina, we do have a Norway and a Denmark, and can speak of them proudly.  Gov. Perry, in discussing some point, the details of which escape my mind, blown away, perhaps, by his subsequent blunder, began his explanation (of something) by stating, “In Texas, from the Alamo to Afghanistan….”  Really, Gov?  Is there really an Afghanistan, Texas, or are you simply expanding your borders, perhaps to try to unseat Alaska as the largest state in the union?   While neither of these explanations rings true, what is obvious is Gov. Perry, following Donald Trump’s lead, is demonstrating how the Republican field will be winnowed away to a reasonable number by the demonstration of their lack of one definitive political skill.  That is, the current plethora of politicians will reduce themselves via the oral route.  (Two down, Chris Christy, and quite a few more, to go.) 

Another topic George aired was the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.  Our public needs to understand one thing (and we need to point out our understanding to our Representatives and our President and his team.)  Iran is a country run by a small group of politicized, religious despots.  These despots replaced a secular despot that the U. S. Government supported.  Hence, using “the friend of my enemy is my enemy” doctrine, the current despots despise “the great Satan,” America.  Iranians have one choice.  If they want the benefits of the great society they could have, they have to get rid of the despots.  The current ones, like the former one, will only leave under a great threat or actuality of force.  The heads of Iran are the very definition of the word despot, and their religious status should not give them cover.  

The Ayatollahs’ funneling public funds into warships, missiles, a non-peaceful nuclear program, and foreign surrogates, while giving no heed to the needs of their people, must be corrected.  The people of Iran need to take care of their problem if they wish to regain their status as a leader of their part of the world.