Quote:
Originally Posted by bladeofdarkness
nothing changes and the deaths and destraction have all been in vain
move along... nothing to see here
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I wouldn't be so sure about that. David Ignatius at The Washington Post sums it up well...
Bet on Neda's Side.
And some interesting perspective on the Basij in this
Salon article.
Quote:
The cops look back at me with little interest.
I receive a very different response from the young basijis coming up the road. They show up after the police, in beige camo trucks traveling in convoy. Today, under daylight, they emerge from whatever hole it is they hide in, wearing uniforms to go with their oversize helmets. Think "Spaceballs." In the back of each transport truck a large red flag is flapping.
When I fix my eyes on them, the look is deadly, menacing.
Basijis. The lesser cousin of the police, they are the more serious of the two. For the cops it's a job, and so far at least their hearts don't seem to be in it. For these basijis, it's their reason to be. They bring an enthusiasm to their "work" that only an ardent hobbyist can. As a member of my family notes, this is their good time. They don't screw, they don't drink or smoke pot (bet you didn't know that went on in Iran). What else are they going to do with all of that energy? For 360 days of the year basijis don't do shit, but for the past week ...
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