This week I would like to reflect
on the documentary about the Green Movement that we watched two classes
ago. I have to admit, I had a vague
understanding of what happened in Iran, and the documentary was very
instructive for me. Seeing an entire
population marching for their rights without the use of violence was very
inspiring. Shocking to me were also the
images of the brutality that the demonstrators were subjected to by the
government, and the fact that no country stepped in to stop it, America especially. This country advertises itself as the
“champion of democracy”, specifically in the Middle East, where it showed the
world it is willing to invade to further democratic ideals. However, when it comes down to stopping a
government from killing its people for asking basic voting rights, America is
silent. Therefore, can this country
really claim to want the spread of democracy?
Or is it just masking its pursuit of pure self-interest by calling
itself “the champion of democracy’? Take
Egypt for example. When Mubarak was
pushed out of power and democratic elections were held, resulting in the
current president and member of the Muslim Brotherhood to be elected, suddenly
America became scared. When turning on
my TV, I see people from the various points in the political spectrum who claim
that what happened in Egypt might not have been that great after all, though
the Muslim Brotherhood is a moderate group.
It seems to me that these people have mistaken democratic elections with
influencing the choosing of a leader that will be more cooperative when it
comes to American interest. The invasion
of Iraq to spread democracy had to happen, but when Iranians were marching
asking for a voice in their government and were brutally treated, we couldn’t
help but turn a blind eye to it.
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