Krauthammer, who isn't on the scene and can claim no special expertise on matters Iranian, writes: "The demonstrators are fighting on their own, but they await just a word that America is on their side."
Really? How does he know?
Here's the problem, Jest: Obama comes out loud and strong in favor of toppling the regime, okay? The basic product of that is handing the fascist mullahs an invaluable rhetorical weapon: Not only are they claiming the Americans want to destroy the regime, now the American president says the same thing. Ergo, anyone involved in the demonstrations is an American tool working to undermine the government (which is, according to the mullahs, one installed through the will of God.) (These are the guys who introduced "opposing God's messengers on earth" as a capital offense.)
Green light! Bring out the tanks, unleash the considerable powers of the state. This is not to say the tanks and those powers won't appear anyway. But the US doesn't exactly have much of a positive reputation in Iran. Are the youth attracted to some aspects of American culture? Perhaps. But America as a nation-state? I doubt it. Our kids may not be able to come up with the answer to the question "Iran plus 1953 plus CIA equals what?" But I'll bet most Iranian kids can. Then there's that Shah business. Oh, and training the Savak fingernail pulling crowd. That kind of stuff tends to mount up.
If the regime -- which, judging by today's address by the grand poohbah, knows good and well it's coming up to watershed time and is preparing to defend itself -- if the regime is weakened or, better, toppled, great. But for the US to take the position that we're going to encourage Iranians to go out in the street, court and find death, is, I think, a terrible mistake.
