He spoke to Iran's poor - and now they are shouting back

[democratic]

Source: Startribune

TEHRAN, IRAN - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad swept to power promising to bring oil revenues to every family, but he now faces growing domestic discontent over newly imposed fuel rationing and skyrocketing prices.

A month after raising gasoline prices by 25 percent, the government began fuel rationing Wednesday, sparking violence in Tehran. Angry Iranians smashed shop windows and set fire to a dozen gas stations.

"Ahmadinejad promised paradise but his government has made life hell for Iranians," said angry driver Mohsen Nosrati, waiting at a gas station in central Tehran.

Prices for fruits and vegetables have tripled in the past six months, and housing prices have more than doubled since last summer.

Read more: http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1277318.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Sounds like his tenure as President...

Is not long for this world. The mullahs are not patient with those who could put their regime in jeopardy.

[MADem]

3. He's doing the bidding of the Supreme Leader and the Council

He has no power of his own. It all derives FROM the Supreme Leader and the Council. They CHOSE him to be President, and eliminated all of the reform candidates on the ballot save Rafsanjani (and calling him a reformer is a relative term). Then, they routed out all of the mouth-breathing mosque living fundies to vote for the little shit.

This guy is about as "popular" and "beloved" as George Bush is. It's all a big load of propaganda--Iranians are more like us than people realize, they recognize a blowhard asshole who doesn't deliver, rattles a sabre, and uses religion for his own purposes just as well as we do.

The reason he's doing this is because Iran is in the HURT LOCKER economically. They're importing forty percent of their gasoline--at least. The infrastructure is crumbling; services absolutely suck. Inflation is rampant and wages have not kept pace at all. Try getting a land line phone in Teheran--your grandchildren will have grandchildren before the guy shows up.

The place is ripe for a shake-up. It's starting to feel a bit like 1978 over there. Well, maybe more like 76 or 77. At any rate, there's some rumbling going on. All I hope is that the US stays the fuck out of it, and lets the Iranians themselves, to include the greatest percentage of the population, born after the revolution and knowing no other life, make their own decisions about how they'd like to be governed.

[kurth]

2. Keep this up and he'll be hoisted up on a crane

by a noose.

[ohio2007]

4. Maybe elections will be suspended in Iran

snip

Imposing a rationing system has been a tough decision as both the government and the parliament were voted in after advocating populist economic policies.

Ahmadinejad came to power after promising to make poor people's lives easier and distribute the oil money in a fair way, so such a move has been unacceptable to many of his supporters.

The coming months will show how the rationing system will affect Iranian society and politics, but a parliamentary election is planned for March 2008 and the conservative-dominated parliament could be forced to regret its bold decision.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/B7DB29F8-651C-42A7-84DD-ACCCFB0A42BC.htm

The only answer is raise the price of gas,drop the subsidies and impose martial law in areas of the country that object to the change in the social free be programs.
The only other option is to take over the Iraqi oil facilities.