A Potential War With And Propaganda About Iran
By Vahab
 
Invasion of Iran by a US military force is possibly imminent. Likely many people cannot fully grasp the extreme devastation that such a horrifically brutal attack could bring, especially as mainstream media often covers up much of this sort of news -- news involving shocking vivid portrayals of ruin and torment.
 
In a very short time, say in three days, the infrastructure of Iran would be shattered, probably much more so than the initial outcome that happened in Iraq. In addition, there would exist absolute chaos.
 
Tehran, with nearly a twelve million population, would probably be a bloody mess -- scorched, beaten, humiliated, stripped of its human dignity and, to provide a comparative analysis, I'll add that NYC had an estimated population of approximately eight and a quarter million residents in 2006. In other words, bombing by air or invading Tehran on the ground is analogous to doing the same to Manhattan almost one and a half times over in terms of the tragic human toll.
 
I, myself, know a bit about this sort of human toll as I have lived in Tehran since the start of Iran-Iraq war. On account, I, for eight years, witnessed bombs and rockets falling on crowded locations and heard the sound of explosions around twice a day for many days in a row.
 
With each air attack alarm, everybody felt distraught and wondered if it were his/her family's turn to be killed under the Iraqi (America made) bombs. Obviously, everyone was beside him or herself and barely able to function under the circumstances. How could conditions be otherwise?

Yet, that war was child's play compared to the ruinous outcomes in any sort of assault from America, which is, I repeat, perhaps imminent. (In any case, Bush has promised that! For example, he stated, "This notion that the United States is getting ready to attack Iran is simply ridiculous. And having said that, all options are on the table." At the same time, results of a Zogby poll, taken last year, indicate that fully fifty-two percent of Americans want to bomb Iran.)
 
This stated, there would be utter torture, misery and terror for years to come as a result, especially if nuclear bombs were used in the event that some leader or other were to get out of control. Could one?
 
In any case,  the entire Middle East would be in utter turmoil were outright warfare, rather than small skirmishes, to include Iran. Aside from the repercussions due to oil disruption, millions of innocent civilians could be killed and maimed during which time Iran would be in complete shambles. In addition, it would be in ruin for years to come -- just as are Iraq and Afghanistan now, and which has resulted in millions of their population fleeing to other countries so as to strain their resources, schools, job market, housing and so on.
 
Furthermore, Iranians, practically all of us, would fight back, even with a shattered infrastructure and paralyzed military power. Citizens' defense of their nations and countrymen, as can be seen from current reactions in other lands, doesn't even have to happen in typical ways. At the same time, it is clear that Western countries would not be "safe" after raiding Iran as there would be direct retaliations in scale and kind, a dramatic rise in gas prices and other repercussions too ugly to even mention.
 
All considered, one can conclude that some American administrators seem not to learn from history or present happenings wherein it becomes clear that overrunning an entire nation is simply impossible. Can't it be clearly seen in Iraq, for example? Can one really call it a victory, as Bush announced when he said "mission accomplished?" What does those words really mean relative to actual events that drag on and on and onward for years on end?
 
In any case, the backlash in Iran could deeply harm the United States of America and any other country that helps it if its government, too, were to invade. As suggested, a conquered nation has its own unconventional ways to oppose aggressors and the real, full scale war starts after a nation is initially crushed. This is because war is not just between governments. As such, this would be a war of Iran's whole NATION of people and all others who'd have the gall to aggress against us.
 
So under these deeply perilous circumstances, what do you think we, in Iran, should do? Should we firmly stand against those who would attack us or "go after" our own leadership, which we need to support (even if quite reluctantly) during this time of threat of violence from other countries? Which course is the lesser of the two evils?

On another note, there is no "either/or " occurrence in social phenomena, for the most part. However, I appreciate and understand anyone's anger over religious fanaticism and mistreatment of women as is promoted by certain factions of my country's government and other leaders in Iran. Indeed, I don't hate both types of wrong any less than many others do. However, there are so many "buts" and other contingencies. As such, most occurrences are neither totally black, nor purely white.
 
On account, we, in Iran, need to support our government, even though it is destructive and undesirable in some ways (as is America's, which many Americans ratify even though it is, likewise, so). Especially we must do so while a bigger problem looms near to our doorstep...
 
Unfortunately, my country is surrounded by many hostile forces in contention with it. Then there are the greedy forces, too. Our oil and gas are a bit too attractive and it is the real reason prompting some, although not all of the ones, who want to pick a fight.
 
Supposing I have some sort of choice on the way to react in this looming situation of war: Would anyone think I should take a casual stance, a ho-hum cavalier outlook, while the lives of millions of Iranians are at risk? Should I just be at ease because some people, secure and contented in their cozy corner of the world, consider my real concern that war could breakout in my country paranoid on my part?
 
What if there is only a five percent chance that this new war should happen? Under the circumstances, should I back my government, which will stand up for me and my fellow citizens, or not? What makes anyone sure that certain US leaders are loathe to occupy my country out of concern for the response from a timid US Congress or the general public? How many from the latter group, to date, seems largely apathetic to their country's ongoing military combat taking place in other lands? Would they get out in the streets and march in protest if Iran were added to the invasion list?
 
At the same time does anyone know what can make a majority of Americans shift 180 degrees?  Perhaps it is a false red flag to shatter their feeling of security, to make them feel that they will lose their comfortable way of life. It doesn't even need to be as big as the September eleventh happening, and this is because the mainstream media in many Western countries has done the damage already. It has done so by creating a sense of danger in people's minds.