Israel and Iran

I just read this article on the bbc website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8267189.stm , and it really struck me. I truly hope that Israel does not take any military action against Iran. As we all were made aware of this summer, the vast majority of the Iranian population is under the age of 30, and many of them are not happy with their government.

True change in Iran must come from within the country. The Iranian/Persian people have a long and proud history of open and non-repressive regimes, and I hope and believe that the past 30-odd years of this totalitarian Islamic regime is a fad. This summer the world watched as everyday Iranian men and women sacrificed their bodies and their lives in their desire to make their lives better. True, the oppressive regime did not collapse, but I belief that its pillars were shaken. True democracies are not formed instantaneously, but rather through years of strife and pain. That is why it would be a terrible idea for any military intervention from an outside force, and that is why I believe that President Obama did the right thing when he took a hesitant position towards the revolution in Iran.

The worst thing for the revolutionaries would be for America, "the great Satan," to support their movement. Any citizens of Iran who had not yet made up their mind on whom to support would be scared away from supporting the reformers.

I believe that Iran will someday very soon become a much more democratic, non-oppressive society, but that change must come from within. As I read news articles and watched reports on tv about the reform movements in Iran, I was enthralled. The base of the movement were college students. Kids my own age whom were being beaten and killed by the oppressive police force for daring to question the legitimacy of their election.

I have come to realize just how much globalization has allowed me to truly identify with these college kids on the other side of the planet. They go to college just like me, use facebook just like me, use youtube just like me, and use tweeter just as millions of Americans do. These students, who some day will become the face of the nation, are, thanks to the ever shrinking world, using the same tools and discovering the same things about life as myself. As their government tries to oppress them and restrict their usage of technology, they just find internet proxys to get around.

I firmly believe that Iran should be left alone from outside military intervention, because the current regime cannot hold itself together much longer. The populous, younger generation is able to access the rest of the world through the internet, and are able to plan opposition movements and let the world know of the injustices being done. This younger generation is more tech-savvy than their elders and can get their internet firewalls, and many of them want to be more free like America and the West. If Israel, or any other nation, decides to use military force against Iran, I believe that reform in Iran would be pushed back by years. There is change afoot in Iran, and this change should be allowed to occur naturally.