We’ve heard a lot about what “extreme” liberalism looks like recently. The propaganda says that unchecked, the left would loot the rich and give the booty to the poor in an effort to make all things equal.
Oooooh, how scary.
But what does the extreme right look like? What would a nation of unchecked radicals on the right look like? What would America be like if the those as far to the extreme religious right as possible had absolute power?
Look no further than Iran today and watch the videos below. This is part of the reason why I am a follower of Christ, but not a Christianist and why I am willing to err to the left of an issue rather than the right.
Some videos may be gruesome but necessary to see what the courageous people of Iran are up against right now. If you want to turn a blind eye, than continue to get your pretty news from the cable networks.
In the above video, a Mousavi protester is beaten by unidentified masked men. What you can’t hear is an off-camera voice speculating that the masked men are Hezbollah militia.
According to the title, the girl was shot and unconscious. You can read the translation of the crowd here.
Something tells me this thing will get bloodier before it gets cleaner.
Eli Gillespie
Hi Nick, my name’s Eli, I’m Chip Neal’s brother in law. I met you back when Chip preached at your church sometime around last Christmas I think. Slow day at work, and I stumbled on your blog…
I’m trying to figure out why the videos are examples of the extreme right. Is there any value that anyone on the right shares with the perps in your videos? I’m pretty sure it is only those on the right that are willing to call the Iranian regime evil.
And if these guys are extreme right, does that make Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly and FoxNews centrists?
Nick
hey Eli, thanks for stopping by. let me explain my post better.
extreme right = fascism = rigged elections, stealing the peoples voice, and beating protesters which was caught on video and embedded in this blog
hope that makes sense.
Keith Jones
A moot point at best. Kind of like the extreme left in the Soviet Union in the 30s and 40s where they “ooooh how scary” took the money from the rich and dispursed it (as much as they ever would). Then they rounded up tens of millions of their own people and butchered them or threw them into work camps. All while the center left in this country called him “Uncle Joe!”
Or the extreme left under Pol Pot who likewise butchered millions of his own people.
Or the extreme left under Mao who… hey guess what… butchered millions of his own people.
Obviously there are crackpots in the extremes of the spectrum.
I don’t think the “religous right” that you are referring to comes any closer to the repressive theocracy of Iran than Ted Kennedy does to Mao.
Like I said, moot point.
And thanks for turning off the Big Head filter. Much better.
Nick
Its not a moot point because the purpose of the post was to show what the extreme right looks like. There is no argument or debate here, just representation of facts. There are no points or “moot points” being made… unless of course you define “moot” as any point that you don’t happen to like.
Mark
Hey buddy it has been a long time, we need to get together pretty soon and hang out.
Anyways, this is a very interesting post only because it seems as if you are trying to make a statement about the religious right in America via the religious right in Iran. Sure there could be some similarities drawn between the two but only at a most extreme level. But most disturbing about the post are not the images of the Iran religous right, but your sarcastic tone in not only the initial post but in your responses. If you are willing to post your beliefs or your emotions on the world wide web you need to be a bit more critical in your responses and less reactionary. Kieth outlined what could be called leftist regimes to show that there are extremists on both sides of the fence and yet you decided to attack the word “moot”, and state that you are only showing facts about the right. Some would question those so called facts, and that is what has been done, nothing more.
Lastly, I have a hard time believing that there was no point to be made with this post, it is not like you posted a youtube video of a music group you posted Iranian rightest, essentially propanda for the left.
Take it easy.
Nick
ok, I WAS making a point. you caught me. afterall it is a blog, where else are points to be made? it seems that i only have to defend my posts when they dare to venture away from the typical and into the realm of free thinking.
I conceded at the very beginning of my post that we have heard plenty of what the extreme left looks like during this past election and do not feel that I have to give it any more press than Fox News already has.
lastly, the only point being made is that the extreme right is called fascism. that is academic and would be interested to hear any argument otherwise.
whats been lost in all this is that we should be able to agree on the point that Iran’s current regime is bad for the people and the resistance should be supported. instead we are arguing over petty politics because of imaginary red and blue sides we have to defend in any conversation. its just silly and its getting old.
Keith Jones
Well if you would have made THAT point, that ” Iran’s current regime is bad for the people and the resistance should be supported”, I would have totally agreed with you and it would have been an excellent point to make.
I interpretted your original post as a cheap comparison between people who are Christians and conservative, and people who are wacked out, pyschos murdering their own people for objecting to a rigged election.
Nick
@keith – ahhhh, i see… no, I meant to use the word extreme to mean “taken to its farthest limit” . the assumption being that left to themselves, some Christian conservatives would opt for a repressive theocracy and praise God for it, much like what has been done by the Mullahs in Iran or much like the extreme left examples that you listed.
its more of a critique on extremism more than anything.
Mark
Thanks for the response I appreciate the clarification. I appreciate your willingness to bring these things to light and to have a forum to discuss them.