CONCEPT HATED


To the amazement of everyone familiar with Antony Loewenstein's writing -- those with any sense, anyway -- his latest Guardian comment is free post is actually worth reading, mostly. The provocative concluding paragraph is the problem:

While Iran is an authoritarian country, there is far greater political debate there than many other Middle Eastern nations (such as, say, Syria). Iranians may be the most hospitable people in the world, and yet any American or Israeli attack against the country's nuclear facilities would be met with even-greater repression at home and rallying around the conservative leadership. For many westerners, the concept of Islam at the heart of a prosperous nation is too much to bear. It's a sad indictment of many post 9/11 mindsets.

Whereas Iran might be among the most prosperous of Islamic nations, it is by no means prosperous. Its oil based economy is something of a mess. No, those who have problems with Iran -- and this isn't limited to westerners -- have reasons for concern other than the country's yet to be achieved economic success. And the gratuitous 9/11 reference is plain stupid; the Iran problem became obvious long before 2001. Idiot.