Tuesday, April 29, 2008

What really scares the Iranian Mullahs?

Is it McCain gettin' elected and us stayin' for a hundred years?

Is it the Israelis bombing out their nuclear facilities just before they can make a bomb?

Is it seeing a Sunni Government come back to power in Iraq and starting up another war with them?

Nice tries, but No, No and No.

It's Barbie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I am not making this up!

In the latest salvo in a more than decade-old government campaign against Barbie, Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other Western toys are a "danger" that need to be stopped.

"The irregular importation of such toys, which unfortunately arrive through unofficial sources and smuggling, is destructive culturally and a social danger...The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter ... as well as the irregular importation of unsanctioned computer games and movies are all warning bells to the officials in the cultural arena,"

Najafabadi said Iran is the world's third biggest importer of toys and warned that smuggled imports pose a threat to the "identity" of the new generation. "Undoubtedly, the personality and identity of the new generation and our children, as a result of unrestricted importation of toys, has been put at risk and caused irreparable damages."

I would like to make three observations in closing:

(1) what the heck is that guy gonna do with that doll?

(2) I'm pretty sure Iran is NOT the world's third largest toy importer

(3) These are the guys screwing us up in Iraq? Shame on us.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is amazing view of the world. Here you have the government proclaiming these particular toys are bad for their society. The population is going to great lengths and probably additional expense to bring the toys (at other items!) in and expose them to their children. It illustrates that the leadership is out of touch with what the populace wants. It creates fears in the leadership that if population wants these toys(or other items) contrary of THEIR recommendations then it may not be long before the leadership may not be wanted.

This is a bit of simplification, but it can illustrate that the Government is more interested in controlling the population than helping its citizen get what is they want at the best possible prices.

Bil

Dirty Davey said...

This is why I don't fear Iran. They are possibly unique among oppressed Middle Eastern populations in that the USA has no responsibility in supporting or maintaining the leadership that is causing their misery.

At least prior to the "Axis of Evil" and the invasion of Iraq, if there was a single country over there whose population was predisposed to being convinced that the US were the "good guys", Iran was it.

(Sadly, there is no good situation in international affairs that the administration cannot turn into a mess.)

GrEaT sAtAn'S gIrLfRiEnD said...

An illegitimate, corrupt, murderous, intolerant, nonegalitarian, despotic regime is unable to counter the wicked, wanton HoT! sexyiful allure of Free Choice.

Consider - Iran has raided Bahar Bie since 2002. Their chief witchfinder General (hot off a polically charged nuclear spy bust') is worried because despite ersatz replacements, parents are dissing the regime.

Like Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars III - all that matters is maintaining control.

So the censored Iranian media will focus of Barbie's as internal distractions instead of focusing on - oh - say -

"Is it McCain gettin' elected and Great Satan hanging for a hundred years?

Is it the Israelis bombing out their nuclear facilities just before they can make a bomb?

Is it seeing a Sunni Government come back to power in Iraq and starting up another war with them?"