the Air Marshal's insights

Kev,

[re: this Tacitus post]

Read your blog. I've long thought that something special could come
from within Iran. There really seems to be a populist desire for some form
of democracy. I think we really screwed things up when we installed the
Shah. Iran has paid a terrible price for it, first by living under the Shah,
then when the pendulum swung just as far in the other direction under the
Ayatollah et al. Still, the potential for an organic home grown democracy
could be just what Islam needs.

I'm more optimistic that some good will come there than in Iraq. Trouble is
it'd probably take an incredibly bloody revolution to get there.

I really think there are three rules to a working democracy
1. It has to come from within
2. The cost is significant (i.e. usually revolution)
3. It evolves over time and has serious growing pains (i.e. war of 1812,
Civil War with us.)

The Air Marshal
[usually found guest-blogging on the Maximum Leader's site]
_