Quote:
Originally posted by Weasel:
Im pissed that the moderate movement in the Middle East is now officially dead.

Those young people within Iran and Lebanon who only a few years ago were so vibrant and energized are now irrelevent because the orgy of violence.

I rememeber a few years ago HUGE student protests in Iran for democracy. Lebanon was a budding democracy, now they look desperatly at the only people responding to the attacks, the terrorist group Hezbolah.
Weasel, the "moderate" movement in Iran never really had a snowball's chance in hell. This recent flare-up between Israel and Hezbollah hardly constitutes its death knell. The 2004 parlimentary elections in Iran saw 70% of the reformist candidates banned from the ballots by the Council of Guardians. Former President Khatami had sold out the reformist movement before that though, toning down his rhetoric because of fear of reprisal from Khamenei. I once had hope when Khatami first came to power, but alas, Iran has retrenched.