A coup Manual: What We should Know About Iran’s Election?

HuffPo- The foreign media and western states are confused and puzzled as to how to interpret the Iranian election on June 12th. Over the past few days I’ve been speaking with many journalists in Tehran who normally go there for one or two weeks on assignment. Many of them, initially, believed that Ahmadinejad’s declared re-election was similar in nature to his first term election in 2005. Meaning that he had successfully mobilized his base of poor people and conservatives and that the reformists and Iranian middle class had, once again, lost the election. But recent development tells us that this is not the real story.
So, what are the sources of confusion? What went wrong and why are people angry and un-accepting of the results? Here are some essential questions that one might ask in order to fully understand the issues at hand: Read more

Why This Election is All About Character, Not Real Issues

Sen. McCain’s risky decision to run his presidential campaign based on character assassination, spreading fear and hatred and even questioning the patriotism of members of Congress, is the best indication that, come November, the Americans’ decisions will be based more on the candidates’ characters rather than real issues.

For some reason, whether it is because he is losing control over his campaign, has weak stance in the Republican Party or has an obsessive desire to go the While House, McCain’s behavior over the past few months has displayed an alarming inconsistency in his character, which is at odds with his previous alleged values and principles. Read more