Jun 21 2009
Iranian Unrest Continues
France made a key decision to help turn the tide in the American Revolution and in the U.S. Civil War. France chose to help the colonists against the British in 1777. The British were unable to defeat the combined forces and the Americans won their independence in 1781.
Conversely, France elected not to help the Confederate States of America in 1863. The CSA, comprised of the Southern states that had seceded from the Union, remembered that French aid enabled a revolution to work in the previous century and hoped French assistance would spark a second independence for the South. Instead, France decided the North was more likely to win and remained officially neutral.
The U.S. came to France’s aid during World War II rather than allow the Axis powers to conquer Europe. I thought about these things when I saw a question posed about why Iran’s recent election has generated so much international attention when other regimes are allowed to conduct atrocities in relative secrecy.
For America, I think part of the answer is personal. Many of today’s elite class saw the 1979 Iranian Revolution, which featured the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and the kidnapping of Americans for more than a year. I believe the concept of Iran as evil was forged then in those eyes and nothing can be done to change the perception.
For its part, Iran thinks America is evil. America backed the oppressive Shah. During the Cold War, the U.S. would have backed almost anyone if he was not a Communist or feared to be a supporter of the Soviet Union. After the Islamic Revolution, Iran saw the U.S. support Iraq during their decade-long war. Iran must have seen the U.S. stop backing Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein when doing so no longer suited its interest.
The rest of the answer is because following Iran’s happenings is easy for the media. Reporters just have to stay in a stateside newsroom and sift through the tweets, uploaded videos and Web site posts. Sure, it’s not as good as covering the events first-hand but it’s also much safer. Ask Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
