Iran and the US: Those "Family Values"

I have so many subjects I want to write about and so little time and energy to get them written, but this afternoon I'm putting it all aside to write about my experience in the moment. I'm watching CSPAN's Book TV. The program, which originally aired on 1/26/09, is called simply "Rick Steves." Mr. Steves is a travel writer who recently visited Iran because, he says, we should not bomb people we don't know.

As Steves shows slides and describes his experience, he compares and contrasts US and Iranian history, culture, and beliefs. He reminds us that for most adults in the US, the 1979 hostage crisis is a powerful influence on our ideas about Iran. For Iranians, events of 1953 have shaped their collective concept of the United States:

• In 1953, a democratically elected Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammad Mosedegh, governed Iran. Mosedegh nationalized Iran's oil. In response, the CIA overthrew the Prime Minister and re-instated a monarchy in the person of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, so US oil companies could access and profit from Iranian oil.

The Iranian people eventually overthrew the Shah in 1979, installed a theocracy, and instituted "The Revolution of Values," which would stand in stark contrast to their experience of Western values.

While US culture is saturated with consumerism and the free-market ideology, Iranian culture is saturated with theocracy and their version of "family values." Reminders of Iranian values are everywhere, just as ads are everywhere in the United States. Steves gives this example:

• On every street corner in Tehran is a metal box, similar to a small mailbox, for depositing alms. On each box is written an admonition from the Prophet Mohammad to care for the poor.

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Right there, as I watched the program, I stood stunned. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What would happen to the American psyche if we had a box for alms on every street corner with this inscription:

Sell what you have, give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.
or this:
Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

We call ourselves a Christian nation, but the words should stick in our throats. Politicians and citizens scream bloody murder over something so small as a meager increase in food stamps for the desperately poor, while bankers and corporate fat cats wallow in reprehensible excess on the public dole. The message is loud and clear:

Blessed are the rich and powerful, for theirs is the wealth of the Empire.
and this:
Accumulate all that you can with no regard for your neighbor.
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Steves gives more examples of Iranian revolutionary values. Some sound good to Western ears; others, not so much. Billboards and posters proclaim "Death to America" at every turn. Steves' purpose is not to paint a rosy picture of Iran, but to give Westerners a framework with which to understand it. In the process, I hope he helps us understand something of ourselves. That is ultimately the more important but much more difficult task.

More on Rick Steves in Iran:

Rick Steves: Rick Travels to Iran
Salon.com: The Other Side of Rick Steves
KCTS Video: Rick Steves on Iran

Rahm Emmanuel: More Interesting Than You Think

This was supposed to be a post on healthcare reform. Boy, did I get side tracked when I started researching an expert whose opinions I planned to discuss. The expert is Ezekiel Emmanuel, the brother of the new White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emmanuel.

There is plenty of interest here. First of all, the Emmanuel brothers--there are three of them--are each interesting in their own right:

• The oldest, Ezekiel, is an oncologist and Chair of the Department of Bioethics at Harvard University. He is the author of Healthcare, Guaranteed: A Simple, Secure Solution for America.

• Rahm, the middle son and Obama's Chief of Staff, was once a ballet prodigy who was offered a scholarship with the Joffrey ballet. Political activism led to his early career as a political fundraiser whiz kid. His later position in the Clinton White House inspired the character Josh Lyman on The West Wing. (1)


• The youngest, Ariel, a former professional racquetball player, is the founder of Hollywood's Endeavor Agency and represents prominent personalities, such as Martin Scorsese, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Moore, Jude Law, Matt Damon, and Mark Wahlberg.
  

The brothers are very close, usually in daily contact. And all three have strong personalities. They are not shy about confrontation and controversy. Rahm, for example, spoke with Tony Blair in the Oval Office just prior to a joint appearance with Pres. Clinton: "This is important," Emanuel said, "Don't f--- it up." (1)

CONTROVERSY

But this is where it gets really interesting. Close followers of the recent Presidential campaign will remember that Obama struggled to win Jewish voters. Many suspected--and some vehemently claimed--that he would not support Israel. But Obama's new Chief of Staff is Jewish--and not just any old liberal Jewish guy. Like Obama, he is the son of an immigrant. His father, Dr. Benjamin M. Emanuel, was born in Israel.

Dr. Emanuel was, according to Wikipedia, militantly active in a Zionist paramilitary organization. (2) A Google search quickly produces pages that refer to Dr. Emanuel as a "terrorist" and a "racist." But the subject of Israel has become more heated and polarizing than an abortion rights debate, and sometimes it's hard to sort out the facts.

This much is clear: the Emanuel family will be a pro-Israel influence on the White House. According to ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper in his blog, Political Punch:

Israeli newspapers are already rejoicing about President-elect Obama's selection of Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., to be his White House chief of staff.

Tapper quotes the Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz:

Emanuel "is the son of a Jerusalem-born pediatrician who was a member of the Irgun (Etzel or IZL), a militant Zionist group that operated in Palestine between 1931 and 1948." (3)

There's plenty of controversy, and I find it a bit curious that the mainstream media hasn't picked up on this.

"There could not be a more provocative appointment than Rahm Emanuel, if he wanted to send a signal that he is going to stick by a quite hard-line pro-Israel policy," said Ali Abunimah of the Electronic Intifadah on Democracy Now. (3)

CONCLUSION

I can't wrap my mind around the socio-political implications of Barack Obama's election and his subsequent appointments. What strikes me most is how stunningly wrong his opponents have been about him. Both he and his Chief of Staff are complex and deeply interesting personalities. President Obama, certainly, is not easily pigeon holed. The first few days of Obama's administration have been exhilirating, and it's going to be fascinating to watch events unfold in the weeks and months to come. Some will question whether Obama's supporters have also been wrong about him. Some probably have been.

SOURCES

1. Washington Post, Fighting for The Spoils, October 2006.
2. Wikipedia, Ari Emanuel.
3. Political Punch, Will the Arab World Take Issue with Rahm's Israeli Roots . . . ., November 2008.
4. New York Times, The Brothers Emanuel, January 25, 2009.

Iran: A Credible Source

Wondering what the straight story is on Iran? Want a more solid grasp on the debate about "preconditions"? CSPAN broadcast a forum held today by National Interest Magazine in which former UN weapons inspector David Kay discussed US relations with Iran in practical, realistic terms. Although SourceWatch cites his Republican connections, he seems to avoid ideology and partisan nonsense in his assessment of the current situation and the policy approaches that can result in the sane outcomes we must achieve.

Video: Discussion with David Kay
Article: Iranian Fallout