It’s official. Ahmadinejad and the hardliners have sealed Iran’s fate. Dictatorship will prevail and democracy will just be wishful thinking. Mousavi’s supporters have turned out in droves, starting fires and attacking police. This is a major moment in recent Iranian history, and the hardliners better realize that they will have to deal with internal dissent. A handful of other authoritarian states exist in this same way, namely Zimbabwe and Burma. In Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe managed to steal election after election, but he eventually was forced to recognize a power-sharing deal with rival Morgan Tsvangirai. Burma’s military junta has yet to loosen its hold, and oppression is still widespread. Hopefully the mullahs will realize that a majority of Iranians are disillusioned with their politics and attempt to allow some reform. I think a large-scale rebellion of sorts will have to take place in order for this to happen. The guys in charge are not going to relinquish what they percieve as their rightful positions as inheritors of the Islamic revolution. Here’s some good analysis from The New York Times.
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