[December 31, 2017] With the new year 2018 beginning tomorrow, it is easy to sit back and relax a little … but that is not what good leaders are doing. Leaders are always ready. They are prepared to take the initiative whenever the right circumstances present themselves. This is what Western leaders are doing right now in support of anti-government protestors in Iran.
This past Friday, demonstrators were in the streets in several cities across Iran to show their disapproval of corruption and rising prices. Technically, the Iranian government is a theocratic Islamic republic governed under a constitution. Much of this is a façade. In practice, the country is a cross between an Islamic-inspired authoritarian government and a socialist dictatorship.
This means, like all other socialist-ideology centered governments, that Iran requires 1) easily exploited natural resources (e.g., oil, minerals), 2) support from outside sources (e.g., donations from like-minded nations), or 3) conquest of other nation states. Iran requires all these to survive and spread their violent ideology.
U.S. President Donald Trump and several other national leaders have been quick to show their support for the Iranian protestors because these political leaders understand Iran’s support of international terrorism. After President Barack Obama transferred billions of dollars in formerly frozen assets and more in sanctions relief, Iran increased its activity throughout the world.
It is only speculation at this point – because the protests are new – that Iranian citizens recognize there is a new popularist wave sweeping across Western nations that are less friendly to Iran and other rogue nations like North Korea, Syria, and Yemen. As expected, the Iranian government has been critical of Western leaders who have supported the protestors.
This is a new development and I will follow it from the perspective of understanding leadership in action. Will the protests die out after a wave of arrests by the socialist Iranian government? Or will the protests become something much larger and be the spark that brings traditional liberalism and democracy to the Middle East?
Everyone is watching and great leaders are prepared to take advantage.
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* Socialist countries have never been able to generate large amounts of wealth. Additionally, they are notorious for corrupt governments.