A thought or two on Iran

If you're at all familiar with "Star Trek: The Next Generation" then you know about the Prime Directive. For those who missed out, it basically expounds a theory and practice of noninterference in the internal affairs of other civilizations. Now, I don't want to make light of the current events in Iran, but I really do feel this is a good time to invoke the Prime Objective.

We don't have to like the results of the Iranian election, but that fact is, it was their election and not ours, so we need to just stay out of it. I don't care if "American interests" are at stake; this was not our election, it was Iran's. I don't care if the election was rigged because it wasn't my election, it was Iran's. I do care that the Iranian government is being too heavy-handed in their crackdown on protesters, but it doesn't matter whether or not I care because it was Iran's election and not ours. We, the United States, need to just let things unfold as they will, as unappealing and un-American as those "things" may be, and let Iran work this out itself. Obama's approach so far has been spot on, he sees the larger picture and knows that if we meddle now then we lose the hope of future ties with Iran. I just hope he doesn't break and succumb to GOP and popular rhetoric. During the whole Gore-Bush election debacle, I don't recall Iran trying to meddle in our affairs.

If we are so concerned with the democratic process, then where were we all those times Mugabe rigged and stole elections in Zimbabwe? Or how is that we can say we respect the democratic process when after Hamas won a few years ago, the US refused to accept the results? Is it that we only accept the results of elections when the person or party we want to win does in fact win? Certainly appears that way. You can't want other countries to have democracy and then turn your back on them when they use the democratic process to elect someone we don't like. It smacks of poor sportsmanship, of wanting that proverbial cake and eating it, too.

I've watched the uncensored video of the woman, Neda, dying several times, and it makes me mad that there are many places in this world where people can't protest without fear of physical violence and even death. But I also hate the idea of an Americanized world. I love knowing there are people in this world who don't think like me, who's values, moral and beliefs aren't mine, places where people live lives so unlike my own. I believe in a strong foreign policy and in engaging other countries; I just don't believe in trying to make those countries do things the way we do things in the U.S.

Hope for the Iranian opposition protesters, even pray for them if that's something you do. Hope that the Iranian government eases up and lets some of its people vent their frustrations. And hope that we don't f*ck everything up by getting involved in something that doesn't involve us.