The Iranian Election

The current events in Iran are one of those events I'm simultaneously transfixed and rendered mute by. What is there to say? There is a lot of compelling evidence out there that the election was rigged. Whether or not reformist candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi actually won, or the regime just panicked, is still an open question. It will likewise be interesting how the emerging fissures within Iran's ruling class will resolve themselves (or not).

Obviously, in any circumstances the brutal crackdown by Iran's paramilitary forces is inexcusable. And while American interests are certainly at stake here and we should keep a close eye on things, fundamentally this isn't about us. It isn't my place to demand that Iranian students willingly put themselves at risk so they can fulfill my own political desires. At this point, the important thing is to support them as they determine how to pursue their own (of course, direct American governmental support would probably be counterproductive in any event).