Eccentric Flower:199807/two sets of propaganda
From Eccentric Flower
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nine july ninety eight eleven p m two sets of propaganda TEHRAN, IRAN - Even a few days after the fact, there is still jubilation over the football team. It's the closest thing to a unifying event this poor country has. Their victory over the U.S., and the spirit of friendship between the two teams during the games, opened a lot of eyes to new possibilities. Which is both a good thing and a bad thing. The people here don't know which propaganda to believe. Khatami keeps telling everyone that the U.S. isn't all that bad, that they really want to get along, that western friendship would be a nice thing to have for a change. His unspoken message: our policies are keeping us in the dark ages. The mullahs are saying that the U.S. hates the Muslim faith, that capitalistic excesses breed corruption and inequality, that letting the U.S. infiltrate would result in a decline of faith and morality. The problem is that every single one of those assertions is true. The U.S. is no Satan, and contrary to U.S. belief, all Muslims are not intolerant misogynists. But 'normalizing relations' with the U.S. would undeniably change Iran forever. And change is both a good thing and a bad thing. © columbine |
