Rising tensions or media and political hype?

One thing I have learned in the last number of years of travelling to some pretty odd parts of the world is that you can seldom rely on any of the Big News Media channels for a balanced picture of anything or anywhere the left-leaning news editors and presenters project. If I believed the news I get at home, all Iranians are rabid Islamicists hell bent on bombing and burning the west into some sort of Sharia governed slum. Nothing could be further from the truth. The real problem here is the way the west is used as a whipping by and presented by their government as an enemy just looking for an excuse to attack them and rob them of their freedom and their religion.

Its the classic tactic of the dictator, distract the populace from internal problems by blaming the interference of an external "enemy" even when that enemy is trying to engage you in negotiation. That said, I rather think the way the situation is presented in our mass media in the west, and the garbage that is fed by our politicians for their own purposes to the public inflames everything and won't resolve anything. Sadly, the statements made by the Iranina President are ot seen by the western media for what they really are - window dressing for the domestic market. Of course we should be worried by the declarations about nuclear enrichment, but is megaphone politics useful? No. And neither is the constant threat of sanctions, that simply drives people into the defensive laager!

This is the problem, between the media whipping up passions with misinformation, the inevitable fanatics (We have plenty of those in the UK - witness the morons shouting slogans outside the Iraq Enquiry!) and the politicians - is it any wonder we end up fighting wars everywhere?

Freezing in Tehran

Yesterday we woke to a snowfall, lower down in the city, but not up here in Punak, at least, not until we started for the office. Then it began to snow. It didn't last long but it certainly dropped the temperature. So yesterday we were gathered round a fire in a drum watching the students set to work on excavating their scenes. What a contrast to a few days ago.

By evening I was frozen and took a while to warm back up. Today has been a little warmer, but my hands were red and icy by the time we packed up for the day. Tomorrow could be interesting if the weather predictions hold - but then, we're only out there for a part of it anyway.

I need me thermals I think.

New week and a long day...

It's been a bright, clear day here, but the wind had a sharp edge to it and the moutains a thick layer of snow. The students started their practical exercises and the first bit has gone well. I was glad of my full fire kit though, that wind was a lazy one - didn't bother going round you ....

And so, as Sammy Pepys loved to write - to bed.

Bright and sunny ....

In sharp contrast to yesterday's heavy downpours, today is bright and sunny with a breeze that has a sharp edge to it from the west. With the "celebrations" here of the 31st anniversary of the Revolution, we are staying indoors and out of trouble - or so we are told. I shall take the sun a little later on the roof of the apartment block. There is quite a view from there when the pollution is low and I have a stunning panorama of mountains behind me.

Ce la vie. It pays the bills.

And the rain came down ...

It has been raining steadily here since early evening yesterday. The long awaited winter rains appear to have arrived and to want to make up for lost time. All things considered, its probably a very good thing too, it may cool tempers in the planned demonstrations we keep hearing about and which have resulted in the cancellation of our intended visit to the Souk today.

The only downside is that the Satellite TV is upset by the rain, it seems to have got into the cable joints, and I can't get the news or a decent signal on anything except the Iranian channels which are OK, but I don't speak Farsi! The upside I guess is that I am spending time writing another book, one I have wanted to write for a couple of years. Now its making progress!

Ah well, silver lining and all that.

American decline?

President Obama's massive deficit budget, designed by his socialist sycophants toenable him to "spend the country out of recession" contained the usual list of socialist "beneficiaries" and "casualties". For me it spelled out very clearly that the Golden Age of the US as a world power is drawing to a close. Its industrial capacity is being eroded steadily, its banking services now face tough regulation and the constant anti-capitalist propaganda from the socialist left is undermining its ability to operate effectively even if they can weed out the rogues. As for the growing erosion of the Constitution and the burgeoning bureaucracy, well, these are the classic signs of a failing state.

All bureaucracies are corrupt and corrupting. They are parasitic organisaations invariably staffed by nice people who believe that "the rules" must be enforced and imposed at every opportunity. Every new regulation in the UK produces at least a thousand new bureaucrats in the civil service and from what I read, the same is happening on an even grander scale in the US.

For me, however, the single sign that the US is now in decline is the cancellation by the White House of NASA's budgets for the proposed manned missions to the moon. China is now the only horse in the race and will soon be the world's only real super power. Without the moon as a base from which missions to Mars can be launched without the huge expenditure of power needed to brak out of Earth orbit with our present technology, the Mars missions will continue to be unmanned. No territory has ever been successfully explored by robots, to occupy territory a nation must have bodies on the ground. I predict that China will soon have manned missions to the moon and then establish a base there. Mr Obama and his socialist chums hate anything that speaks of success and this programme is merely the first casualty in a campaign which will see all trace of excellence remaining in the US in education, science, innovation or any other sphere of activity, reduced to socialist mediocrity.

As usual the dead hand of socialism will kill the US's Armed Forces in the same way their pals in Westminster and Whiethall have done in the UK. Death by a thousand cuts. Each little cut on its own insignificant but eventually you reach the position where the Armed Forces have been reduced to inability to do more than fulfil a limited role as poor relations to whichever super power is calling the tune.

Here is my prediction for the future.

The US will now enter a period of steady decline, facing increasing unemployment propblems and a rising Social Security and Health Care bill. Rising taxes and declining services from a burgeoning bureaucracy will bring a steady erosion of the military. By the end of this century the US will no longer be the USA, but will have broken up into Hispanic and English speaking sections, possibly even becoming four separate nations. In contrast, China, India and Brazil are likely to become the new Super Economies and Super Powers.

I hope I'm wrong, but history suggests, and Socialists everywhere intend, that I will be proved right.

Interesting times

The snow of the weekend has vanished and the mountain snow seems to have retreated too. This week has seen several other things though, like the opening today of the road tunnel that passes beneath a part of the Tehran CBD and links up the main North-South Expressways. It has had a somewhat troubled construction period since it passes beneath a major road and several buildings and there have been a number of collapses during construction as well, though none affecting the buildings.

Our courses continue and the latest group of students are keen and good fun. It will be a fun course, though I think all the instructors are now tired, homesick and need a long spel at home.

The weekend coming will be interesting. It is the anniversary of the Revolution and already there are posters, flags and decorations going up everywhere. I would say though that I get a feeling that not everyone is keen to celebrate it and we are told there are opposition protests planned for Friday... I think the Monk will be staying at home and watching the jollifications or otherwise on the telly.