Revolutions occur infrequently, which is why the second Iranian revolution that followed the first by a mere thirty years has stirred so much emotions around the world. In 1979 the Shah was toppled and the fiery Ayatollah Khomeini gained power. But his legacy has been a rigid theocracy that has gradually choked off the aspirations of Iranians. Why is it that people in power never learn from history? Why must they always oscillate between two extremes, between "anything goes" and "nothing goes" views, particularly in Muslim countries?
The current revolution is being waged by the children of the first. A flawed election may have started it but now it has turned into an existential battle between those who seek freedom and those determined to deny it. Iranians are sick of the status quo, of theocrats and their lackeys with no experience in statecraft, abusing religion to keep the masses under control. Young Iranians and old have concluded that with the current regime, there’s not to reason why, there’s but to do and die. The Revolutionary Guard may seize power and install a military government but that will not last. The people have risen and they will be satisfied with nothing less than a complete transformation of government. Their twitters are being heard round the world. They have learned from Barack Obama that change is not only possible but inevitable. The grim reality, however, is that this change will come only after a river of blood has flown through the streets of Tehran.
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