Iran Has Become An Islamic Orwellian Dictatorship
War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. – George Orwell
Thumbing their nose at the West, Iran launched its longest-range missiles in a show of force ahead of nuclear talks scheduled for Oct. 1 in Geneva.
Much like the militant reactions of North Korea, a kindred terrorist state, Iran shoots off both missiles and propaganda each time they are under scrutiny or threatened with sanctions.
This time, they boast of the destructive range and power of their arsenal of missiles that they promise to launch if threatened.
“Whenever foreign pressure on Iran rises, the hard-liners respond by testing missiles – a threat specifically leveled at Israel,” says a political analyst in Tehran with reformist sympathies.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, Iranian state media heralded the successful launch of a new generation of Shahab-3 and Sajjil ballistic missiles, which are capable of reaching Israel, US bases in the Middle East, and southeastern Europe.
The new launches amplify Tehran’s revelation last week that it had been covertly constructing a second uranium enrichment facility.
“All targets within the region will be within range of these missiles,” said Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander. Referring to the defense capabilities of the Guard, he added, “We will respond to any military action in a crushing manner.”
CSM states that this time, however, there are signs that playing the traditional nuclear trump card to rally nationalist fervor may backfire for the regime, whose legitimacy many Iranians have challenged in the wake of June elections.
Such a display of “teeth and claws” is likely to backfire, says the Tehran analyst. “It only serves to strengthen the resolve of the world powers to press for heavier sanctions. Many Iranians feel that the government is not acting to preserve national interests.”
While Iran postures and blusters its might and warnings to the world, unrest amongst its citizens over the election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to smolder. Together with a growing problem with drug addiction, this situation draws heavily on the Islamic republic’s governing energy and resources.
In many ways, Iran today resembles an Islamic version of George Orwell’s 1984.
