Iran, Look Before You Bomb - Images of Iran

This link came to me by way of a reply form fellow Kossak "AmazingChicken."  AmazingChicken credits his Mum whose sent him the FLASH page.  It had an incredible impact on me and the hundred of so friends I sent it to.

It shows that Iran is more like Europe than our concept of an Arab state.

To bomb this country ... to bomb any country actually ... would be shear madness.

Sure they have a leader who is a raving lunatic, but fuck, so do we.

We have to look past the MSM images that are being fed to us by the same corporations who benefit financially from war (and also own the MSM).  We MUST speak out NOW.  Congress needs to inform Bush that is he invades, bombs, strikes Iran he will be impeached.

Please send this link to EVERYONE you know today.

Time is running short ... PLEASE RECOMMEND.

Thanks AmazingChicken!

P.S. Don't let Robert Gates lie us into War with Iran.

•  Please Copy the Link And Send It To EVERYONE

  by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:19:18 AM PDT

•  Thank you for this.

  by bluedogtxn on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:19:27 AM PDT

  •  You're Welcome

    Pass it on ...

    by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:20:48 AM PDT

•  wonderful video.

  was that Cat Stevens?

  by Texas Blue on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:23:21 AM PDT

  •  Yes

    by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:24:37 AM PDT

•  Yes

  (Urban) Iranians look like Europeans, live in cities that look like Western cities, have a demeanor and physicality that resembles Western people.

  They are a lot like Westerners in terms of culture and ethnicity.

  It's pretty startling.

  by bink on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:23:38 AM PDT

•  Persians,

  of whom I have known many, are very much like Europeans. I am not sure why this should matter, although clearly, it does.

  It's a shame that drawing similarities to "westerners" is even necessary. This is not meant to bitch at the diarist.

  I am just saddened by the obvious...that maybe 'merica will be less likely to attack if 'them there Iranians' aren't so 'muslim'? Maybe then we can jump upon the peace train...

  ARGHHHH.

  Thanks for the vid link, and it's so nice to hear Cat singing again.

  by Lisa Lockwood on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:33:53 AM PDT

  •  Indeed

    That was to be my other remark.

    by bink on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:36:38 AM PDT

  •  I Agree

    There should be no difference based upon how people look and dress.  Unfortunately, in America today it does make a difference.  It is amazing how whole countries are "dehumanized" so the war mongers can "have a reason" to go to war.  I was traveling in India in 1986 (peak of the cold war) and Gorbachav was visiting in a week or so so the hotel in New Delhi where I was staying was swarming with Russians.  At the time I remember thinking ... "Shit they look exactly like Americans."  Sounds funny but after all the years of demonization of Russians it really blew my mind.  
    That's why I think spreading this video will have an effect ... have you ever seen this from the MSM??

    by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:43:22 AM PDT

    •  I sent many on my email list

      a link to the video, with just that comment..."have you seen this in the (msm) news?".
      Dehumanizing is part of the psychological process of war, and anything to make our potential "enemies" more human, more like "us" is vital in stopping the drum beat to attacking yet another country.

      by Lisa Lockwood on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:57:11 AM PDT

•  This matters because it undermines the...

  ...perception of Iran as a Taliban-like regime.

  by Autarkh on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:35:56 AM PDT

•  We must not bomb 127

  http://www.127band.com/

  They very well could be the next Beatles.

  by pinche tejano on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:49:36 AM PDT

  •  Huh?

    An Iranian Band!?!?!?
    cool ... more info please ...

    by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:52:19 AM PDT

    •  They played SXSW last year in Austin

      From Tehran, full on Persians who rock.

      They alone could be the face of Iran, a modern on that exists and has always existed.

      But I am sure the mullah-meme will win out.

      Great fucking rock and roll and they have a great documentary out about how rock and roll can build bridges between cultures, and how they really really would be preferred not to be bombed.

      http://www.127band.com/...

      Yes, they were an Iranian Band!

      Someone should highlight them here, put a human face of the conflict, they even sing in English so it's accessible.

      And a great horn section.

      by pinche tejano on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:59:40 AM PDT

      •  Thanks 4 this

        Music May Save This World ...

        by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:05:40 PM PDT

•  I remember something like this

  going around about Iraq before we invaded.

  sigh.

  by thepdxbikerboy on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:52:10 AM PDT

•  Thank you! n/t

  by thepdxbikerboy on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:52:44 AM PDT

•  if we screw with another country

  destroy it as we have iraq, we should suffer all consequences. This is just plain wrong. If Gafney wants to kill iranians, someone should welcome his family to hell as well!

  I would love to go and protest in front of his home....lets see how he likes real patriotic americans expressing free speech.

  by dgone36 on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 11:59:04 AM PDT

•  I call bullshit.

  It shows that Iran is more like Europe than our concept of an Arab state.

  The fact that one could show similar photos from Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon says as much about what most Americans think an "Arab state" is as it does about how Iran is somehow more "European" than "Arab."  The assumption behind that statement is ludicrous.

  Of course we shouldn't bomb Iran -- but not because they're somehow "not like the Arabs."

  by naltikriti on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:13:17 PM PDT

  •  That statement is ludicrous.

    I agree see comment up thread.

    Unfortunately  - "Arabs" are the new "boogie man" to the same folks that find Anna Nicole Smith fascinating ...

    I think the value here is these images will "shock" peoples "preconceived concepts

    by Kdoug on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:25:14 PM PDT

    •  You Are Right. Too Many Americans Have A

      completely distorted view of what the people in the Middle East are really like. They have been sold a bill of goods whereby they think of the people in that region as something other than what they really are. The first step is to get rid of the "boogie man" perceptions and make people here realize that we are all the same people and there is no OTHER just all of us together.

      by MO Blue on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:47:26 PM PDT

•  Iran Is A Beautiful Country And One Of The Few

  places in the Middle East where the population is not anti-American. They do not like our government's policies but they like Americans. More than two-thirds of the population is under the age of 30, and the literacy rate is 86%. Wikipedia The younger generation is pushing as hard as it can against the theocratic restrictions inherent in their government and to allow for more personal freedom. Without U.S. interference, Iran could progress to a more democratic type of government through their own efforts. The threats from the U.S. distract the population from their own grievances with their government and make it harder for the reformers to promote their agenda.

  by MO Blue on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:38:18 PM PDT

•  Your Title

  reminded of of a vendor we had in the early days of our company.

  They, as a family, had hundreds of old pictures of Budapest and other cities and towns nearby.  After the conflict there many, many old buildings that ceased to exist except in old photos like theirs.

  They decided to turn those photos into stationary (this was all pre-CafePress) and a few other products in order to augment their small income as well as enable people to keep a reminder of how that city and others had appeared before war came to them.

  This isn't really relevant but it was one of my favorite product lines for a long while and your diary just made me think of them.

  ....walkin' down memory lane...

  by workingmom OH on Fri Feb 09, 2007 at 12:41:12 PM PDT

•  I fear I may have muddied

  the water some with my original comment that kdoug found, when I mentioned the similarities of Iran's culture to Europe's.

  I was reacting in that moment to the comments I'd heard about 'Iraq and Iran are just a letter apart' which some neopeople have said.

  Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, the Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan... ALL have cultures as unique and old as time itself, and are more than worthy of everyone's respect.

  While on the subject of RESPECT I'd like to give props to Lucas Gray, the gentleman whose web pages host the Peace Train page.  If it halts a bit when running, it's because he's running it on a broadband connection.  THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, LUCAS!

  Lucas has offered to provide me a copy of the show if people want to distribute it more broadly.  If there are any Kossaks who have big pipes and space to store this presentation for wider audiences, please contact me.  And if anyone out there has TV time they can spare, well that would get the message out further, wouldn't it.

  Dum Spiro, Spero while I breathe, I hope

  by AmazingChicken on Mon Feb 12, 2007 at 06:35:41 AM PDT

  •  Good On Ya Johnny!

    Hope you find a "host" with big pipes"
    I hope you don't mind that I ran with this ... I also posted it on Firedoglake, ThinkProgress ... always incredible response.  
    I also sent a "thank you" to Lucas @ his website contact.
    Thank YOU again for the original link ...

    by Kdoug on Mon Feb 12, 2007 at 07:45:45 AM PDT