Robert Fisk (yes, that Robert Fisk) is apparently in Iran. As is routine for Fisk with his delusional world view, he finds himself shocked at the violence directed against demonstrators.
Robert Fisk, a writer and journalist who was observing the rally, told Al Jazeera he had heard shoots fired and seen demonstrators break out into a run, but that things had continued to be largely peaceful.
“It’s extraordinary to me that anyone would start shooting at such a huge crowd of people,” he said.
Gee, Fisky, do you think it might have something to do with the people doing the shooting being are… what’s the technical term for it… oh, right, Evil?
It says a lot about Fisk’s world view that he finds it extraordinary that a brutal, authoritarian regime would open fire on protestors. It explains a lot as well.
He hasn’t figured out a way to blame it on Bush, or AmeriKKKa yet?
Poor chap – as soon as he gets over his understandable shock, he will figure out a way.
As is routine for Fisk with his delusional world view, he finds himself shocked at the violence directed against demonstrators.
So when’s his turn to get beat up?
“at such a large crowd of people”
This, too is indicative of his lack of understanding of how the world works, and is quite an amazing gaffe for someone who is supposed to make his living with words – is it OK to shoot a lone dissident?
This guy claims to be an expert on the Middle East, but he is surprised to see a government sending its troops into the street to shoot people? What else have Middle Eastern governments ever done? The man is a buffoon.
Fisk’s naiveté is seconded only by; 1) people who think ‘all Middle Eastern governments have ever done is send troops into the street to shoot people’ and 2) people who anxiously await Fisk to be ‘beaten up.’
Michael is right. I am naive. Middle Eastern governments do not always send their troops into the streets to shoot people when their people are in the streets demanding something. On rare occasions, like in 1979, the US Government persuades them to let the Mullahs take over, instead.
And Fisk is still a chump.
Michael,
…2) people who anxiously await Fisk to be ‘beaten up.’
Your obviously not aware that the “beaten up” comment comes from Fisk himself. He’s already been beaten but the good news is he thought he deserved it for the high crime of being a Westerner.
I imagine Lex was simply wishing that Fisk get more of what Fisk himself appears to feel he so richly deserves.
Shannon, you beat me to it (so to speak).
Well, of course, Fisk is surprised. After all, the Iranian military and revolutionary guards are not American or Israeli who are the only ones to do bad things in his world. I am sure he will find a way of “understanding” them. Them western imperialists and zionists caused it all.
Like Carter when the Russians went into Afghanistan, the surprise seems a bit naive. Of course, the governments of such states (Russia and Iran) take many other actions than sending police into the street to shoot deonstrators. Still, their response is hardly a “welcome to the open marketplace of ideas.”
Clearly, our president thinks that Americans are generally actively on the wrong side – his speech about Iran included references to our interference. Perhaps such mea culpas cheer the demonstrators. They want a state like ours, but he’s explaining to them what is wrong with such a state and how good their excellent leader is in noting their expressions of doubt about the electiion. Of course, he said much else, but little firmly argued that an open society is a good society, certainly not that an open society is the right of every man.