ClarkCast 030 - Iranian Voices In America
Submitted by Wes Clark on May 2, 2007 - 11:06am.
Stop Iran War | stopiranwar | Call to Action | Iran
May 2, 2007
ClarkCast 030 - Iranian Voices In America
In this edition of The ClarkCast, we talk with Iranians living in America about their country, diplomacy, and the possibility of war with Iran. Please visit StopIranWar.com to sign the petition to demand that we stop the rush to war with Iran.
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I do think we have multiple false impressions of that country and its people and really hope everyone will listen.
and thank YOU for doing the transcript!
Did you see that Iran arrested one of their former nuclear negotiators? I wonder if it had anything to do with the column Kristoff just had in the NYTs? The guy could have been part of the team Ahmadinejad replaced when he got elected. From what I've read, looks like the guy could face very serious penalties for whatever they think he did.
Been really busy past few days and have missed so much news!
Interesting though....
One thing that got cut out a bit of the podcast was the fact that there are constant demonstrations in Iran against their gov't and many arrests also. What's kind of clever, they arrest all these students who protest - put them in jail then tell them their sentence is to serve in the military, which is mandatory anyways ... but it's a good way to be sure you get more in the service when you need them.
Apparently - the youth there are really hoping we start to cover this aspect- the protests and the arrests.
I wouldn't hold my breath though... with this press corp. I mean Corp Press. ;p
This was very touching. I had very close Iranian friends in the 70's whom I lost contact with but they were very fine people. It's so sad that Americans are not more familiar with other cultures around the world. We can gain so much from them. This brought to my mind the basic similarities of all peoples. Sara brought tears to my eyes with her last statements.
Please, please no more destruction.
That means a lot to my husband and I - that you had tears from Sara's last statements... see what we did was three separate phone interviews on three different dates and edited them all together (which is why this took so much time!) and when we heard her line about them being scared and her voice-- so pleading and frightened... we both said "That's the ending line!" and then worked around it and kept it that way.
We had three hours to edit down! Lots of good stuff from all of them. When you listen, a good exercise is to imagine it is your sister, or your cousin - talking about America, someone knocking down their door, bombing their neighborhood,
It's one wat we can better empathize...
I have, of course, sent this podcast out to everyone I sent the Petition to and encouraged those who receive it, to send it out with the Petition to others.
Thank you! Very interesting!
Interesting the remark that America has helped Iran to be modern and educated as they are today, and the implication that now Bush wants to take that all away.
Anyone that has studied the Persian history knows these people were well ahead of the West, had their own Da Vinci's who had already designed modern tools and such perhaps two centuries (or more) before Da Vinci did. I'm so tired of Bushies grouping all Islam into the "Axis of Evil" and wish our own people would educate themselves about the Middle East!
I have much compassion for the Iranians here in the States who know that this can go badly if Bush doesn't back off from his "cowboy" politics!
We've made them what they are today!
We pushed them into the powerful slot they now occupy in the region - in multiply ways. By taking down Saddam, by the Shiite uprising in Iraq, by taking out the Taliban, by labeling them the Axis of Evil, etc etc.
Thanks for sending it out msbehavin!
I tried to keep it in a tone that your average Americans - regardless of political bent- could get something from without being offended! Heh.
Let me know what kind of response (if any) you get.
I'm so happy that you made this ClarkCast. The voices of sanity helped me dampen the disgust I feel after the evening news. I wonder if Wes has listened to this interview? He and the speakers seem to share many of the same thoughts.
So how do we get this to go viral?
Another excellent job well done ms in la.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
It had to be "cleared" by Wes before we could release it. Tomorrow you'll get his letter in your inbox about it and I hope to put something up at Kos tomorrow night if the goddesses will allow me some down time from all this work!
As for the interviewees sharing Wes's ideas-- I noticed that too and I swear it was a happy accident!! There was no coaching of anyone as to point of view on any issue but their words really did reflect what Wes has been trying to get across about the values of diplomacy.
Jen has been shouting about this for a long time now, and many of us have, but it truly does all come back down to the misperceptions manufactured by our media that have made this entire dark game possible and extended it.
We are all left with the job of being the antidote. Of setting it straight. They have the $$$. We have the numbers. And the truth.
Glad to have enriched your "sanity" in some small way Zee! : )
I'll be watching for your posts.
You have not converted a man because you have silenced him.--J. V. Marley
Great job, very enlightening. One thing that struck me as I was listening to the three of them discuss the political situation in Iran, was their depth of knowledge about current events and the various Iranian leaders. Very interesting ClarkCast.
Proud to be an American.
I read today that the literacy rate for women there now is at 97%.
How many Americans do you think would get that question correct if asked? Literacy rate for women in Iran? Try it.
We had a huge immigration here after the Revolution (to L.A.) so the community is large and I know and work with lots of Iranians. I love discussing politics with them! Not a one says they're not interested or didn't know about that.
And the other really fascinating thing is that they pick up on all the propaganda and BS churned out here instantly. No need to scream or point it out endlessly... they get it. They've lived it and have learned to very keenly recognize it when it surfaces. I love that.
Kudos ms, this should inspire many more
signatures on that petition.
I hope it does that, inspire signatories to come out that haven't yet signed. But I also hope it breaks down a few of those stereotypes we've been inundated with too.
I really enjoyed that Ahmadinejad also shares ultra low approval ratings --just like bush! 20%. They should both march off into exile together and leave their respective countries who don't want anything to do with them alone...
Very interesting…
This is another reason I like to blog here because I inform myself on what I usually don’t find on regular news and channels.
I think it’s time to have WC news on channel three. There are already two great reporters, ms in la and Reg, and any other Clarkies can contribute their talent.
Thank you ms in la for a very interesting and intelligent report and thanks to Reg for the transcript, and of course thank you Gen Clark for not only posting this but continuing to shed light into our minds.
WKC-TV! WKC Radio?
What ever happened to Al Gore's TV news channel? Did it flop? Or fizzle? I don't recall hearing much.
We have tons of Clarkie talent here, I've always said that too.
Glad you enjoyed the podcast MA3, spread the word!
that sounds much better. Wanted to add G in front but didn't want to make it seem it is just military... It would be a great show to tackle important issues like national security, foreign policy, environment, economy and of course supporting our troops and vets. And you have the perfect voice for it too, ms in la :-).
Spreading the word? Well always finding the time for it and soon I will be wearing my camo military pants ;-). I hope you got your military t-shirt you wished for...
You're so skillful at this, both the interviewing and the editing. It was seamless, sounded like a conversation with all 3 of them in one room with you.
I was so impressed by their knowledge and their concerns. It just amplifies the importance of having Americans perceive the people of Iran. This Clarkcast is a real gift, ms. Thank-you so much for doing it!
carol4clark
General Wes Clark * * * * 4 Stars Over Texas
Too cool.
I even like the music at the beginning! :D
We can only hope that everyone can get this into the ears of America.
I was humming that stuff for so long during edits! It sticks in the brain...
I have encountered another busy streak at work but am still planning to take the ClarkCast to Kos - once I can come up with a diary concept that I like. ; )
It captures so much, a rainbow of emotions. It's so sad that we are locked into conflict with the people of Iran, and that so few Americans have any understanding of who we are threatening and why. I can only repeat what everyone else said about the work you and Keith did making this happen, and every second of that work got captured and lives on now in this Clarkcast, even if there are hours of unused tape left over from the edit.
Like what everyone else says, this piece needs, and this piece deserves, the widest circulation possible. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to find time for it MS, a Kos Diary on this is essential, even though Eve did include talking about this in her amazing Kos Diary also. And let us know in advance; here, through emails etc. when you have a Diary ready to put up, so we can be ready to go comment on it. And there is nothing to stop you from cross posting this either at myDD, at DU, and elsewhere.
The quality is so high and the content is so timely and immportant, I keep thinking there has to be a slot on Natioanl Public Radio that would consider airing this. Can anyone think of a specific show that might use material like this? Same thing for Pacifica. And I don't think WesPAC would mind if we made hundreds of own CD copies of this and just started giving them out to people that we know, asking them to please pop it into their car CD player, if they have one, to listen to on the way to work.
My limited radio time is only Air America while in the car and getting ready in the AM so I can't help with the program ideas. I have become a huge Thom Hartmann fan. Addicted.
This entire topic- getting the voice of the real people from the country out -- as a counter propaganda, or a propaganda antidote, is really ripe for the mining. They are simply NOT getting heard anywhere.
I was hoping to do a Kos diary this weekend. Intending to indeed. Beyond that, I'm not registered at DU or MyDD but anyone who wants to tackle it is welcome to either take a cross post from Kos or create a new piece. We're all family. : ) I loved Eve's diary yesterday, anyone who missed it can check it out on the Blog Buzz link-----> Beautiful Iran
Thanks for all the support and encouraging words too. Counter Propaganda Department... reporting for duty!
Absolutely superb job on this!!!! Please do more, and please thank Keith too.
"Our public servants work for us - we don't work for them. We have an obligation, as citizens of this country, to always remember that - and to never let them forget it." - DeadMessengers
Final edit he was up until 4:30 AM working. Could not have done it without him, that's for sure.
And thank you Kelly for all you're doing!
Check the list of upcoming events on the right side of the page and see if there are any near you.
I checked them both out and it's encouraging to see they seem to be rallying the Iranian community in America pretty effectively.
in the world. Let's get out there and spread some REAL hope around as ambassadors for peace.
I would like to express profound thanks and appreciation to General Clark and the WesPAC team for allowing his supporters to mount such efforts under his banner -- always giving such leeway and invested trust in doing so.
And for finding the time in an impossible schedule to keep promises made and promote those efforts.
We may have shorter fingernails and a few less hairs on our heads, but we are still in some form of patience mode over here in Clark's Army! :P
...and what a treat.
I wish we could get this played on some independent radio outlet.
Fantastic job, ms and Keith. With supporters like you guys, Wes cannot lose.
WHERE'S MY GENERAL? Stolen from Charlie Rangel, via Susan in Cleveland. Hat tip,Syb ;)
We need to crank up WKC-AM progressive talk radio I guess! : )
If I could, I would quit my other work and do podcasts all day long... I'd even gladly endure the late night barrage of er...'colorful' language from hubby-- when he forgets a save, or can't edit out that weird giggle just under the dialogue. (don't ask)
But alas, I am relegated to serfdom and forced labor as the middle class continues to go the way of the middle ages...
This letter was posted on a blog today by a friend of the letter-writer. It complements nicely the expressions of the 3 Iranian Americans interviewed for the Clarkcast. As the blogger puts it, "His motivation for writing this letter, and mine for printing it, is not political - but human."
Definitely worth reading:
A Letter from an Anonymous Iranian to the American People
carol4clark
General Wes Clark * * * * 4 Stars Over Texas
how great this Clarkcast is.
ms thanks for your efforts- for your careful observations & wonderful questions. It matters. A lot.
Congratulations.
Every American needs to hear this.