“breezy with freedom”

by E.D. Kain on June 16, 2009

That’s how Joe Klein describes Iran – at least compared to the Soviet Union back in the day.

He also describes John McCain as “unhinged.”

I can certainly agree with the latter, but what about the former?

Thoughts?

E.D. Kain is a blogger and freelance writer. Currently he serves as Editor-in-Chief of The League of Ordinary Gentlemen and writes a tech blog at Forbes. Visit his politics blog here. He can be found occasionally composing 140 character cultural analysis on Twitter. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The National Review, The Washington Examiner, and the now-defunct True/Slant. You can also contact him via email.

{ 6 comments }

1 mike farmer June 16, 2009 at 5:22 pm

My opinion is that Joe Klein is breezy with partisanship and ignorance, but then what do I know. If accounts like this are correct — http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NTM2ZDdmMWFiYWY5MWJiMTkwN2JhZGMwOWU2ODAzZDk= –
I would say this is much less than breezy — and I tend to believe this well-detailed account over Klein’s account of satellite dishes.

2 Jaybird June 16, 2009 at 6:18 pm

Compared to Nazi Germany, the Iranians are practically living at Disneyworld.

Rights are either recognized and protected or they are violated. This attitude that “they don’t know how good they have it” from someone who lives in the West is contemptable. Sure, I could see someone from the Congo who has had their hands removed by machete making this point, maybe… but Joe Klein???

What fun sentences can you come up with that would be an equivalent statement to tell homosexuals? Women? African-Americans?

3 Chris Dierkes June 16, 2009 at 6:20 pm

In some ways late era Soviet Union (70s/80s) is probably just about the best comparison to Iran. A huge black market, mafia-esque business dealings, an amazing underground party scene.

As they said about the Soviets: people pretending like they obey, the rulers pretending like they have fealty.

Again that phase is not up for grabs and something is coming that will be different. It could worse–if the hardliners win (imagine had the hardline communists pulled the coup against Gorby and held power, e.g.). It could be better. But I think there’s no going back to the status quo ante.

4 Roque Nuevo June 17, 2009 at 9:51 am

It’s good to see you agreeing with Peter Wehner, evil neocon extraordinaire, about the comparison Iran|USSR in the ’70s-’80s. I wonder if you’ve thought this out, though. It doesn’t seem like the position a master theologian would take these days. Wehner says, “As between Reagan and Obama, I side with the former. It helps that events have vindicated him and his approach. We’ll see whether Obama can one day say the same thing.” That’s because the “evil empire” speech—which was villified by the establishment back in 1983 as war-mongering, etc etc.—meant that

The lie had been exposed and could never, ever be untold now. This was the end of Lenin’s “Great October Bolshevik Revolution” and the beginning of a new revolution, a freedom revolution — Reagan’s Revolution.—Natan Sharansky

5 richard June 16, 2009 at 7:59 pm

” Iran is breezy with freedom.” Joe klein 6/16/09

There is no famine or actual starvation nor is there likely to be.”(on russia)
– Walter Duranty New York Times, Nov. 15, 1931 on russia

6 Will June 17, 2009 at 6:14 am

Not sure “breezy” is the right adjective when students are getting shot and killed… something like “awash in uprising” sounds more to the point. agree totally on McCain — we’ve had enough “interventionist” foreign policy, thank you very much.

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