Iran regime's solution: More executions

I once heard Robert Kaplan say in a Charlie Rose interview, in connection with Iran, that it is a rule of human nature and power, that the narrower the support base of a regime the more extreme and desperate it gets. He fully expected the Iranian regime to become even more intransigent and insane, as it becomes less confident, due to the erosion of popular support.

A very quick tour in the Iranian blogosphere would bear out the claim that most young and educated Iranians do not favour the current arrangements enforced by their regime, and do favour modernity and liberty they see in the USA. .

So what does a regime increasingly under such pressure do? Does it heed the longings of its future leaders and population for a more responsible and rewarding type of life?

Not bloody likely. Quite the contrary, and in complete accord with Kaplan's observation. It tightens the noose and ups the ante.


According to this report:

The Iranian parliament is set to debate a draft bill that would add a number of crimes to the list of those that can result in execution, among them "establishing weblogs and sites promoting corruption, prostitution and apostasy." Apostasy means the abandonment of a religion. The official Iranian news agency reports that the bill is intended to "toughen punishment for harming mental security in society.

Iran already imprisons bloggers for challenging the government and executed 317 people for other crimes last year, up from 177 the year prior according to Amnesty International.

H/T: Selma

A conversation with Robert Kaplan, 05/07/2002 (starts at about 7 minutes into the broadcast)

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Addendum: July 8, 2008:

For Human Rights in Iran blog