'Where is my vote': Iran

Image from http://www.tehran24.com/

Wow, does this bring back memories of the demonstrations, widely supported in the West, that resulted in the fall of the liberal-on-the-surface-but-dictatorial-behind-the-scenes Shah of Iran in 1979 which resulted in the ascendance of Ayatollah Khomeini which, needless to say, was perhaps an even greater surprise as it led to the rise of Islamic theocracy. Democracy as "the worst form of government, except for all of the others."

from wikipedia on the Fall of the Shah:
"On October 22, 1979, at the request of David Rockefeller, President Jimmy Carter reluctantly allowed the Shah into the United States to undergo medical treatment. This act was extremely unpopular with the revolutionary movement, which had been angered by the United States' overthrow of the democratically elected Prime Minister Mossadegh, and years of support for the Shah's rule. The Iranian government demanded the return of the Shah to Iran to stand trial; the American government refused to turn him over.

"This resulted in the storming of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and the kidnapping of American diplomats, military personnel and intelligence officers, which soon became known as the Iran hostage crisis. According to the Shah's book, Answer to History, in the end the USA never provided the Shah any kind of health care and asked him to leave the country."

Ambivalence, confusion, and transient and conflicting popular sentiment have always made for complex foreign policy decisions and fostered unexpected repercussions.

Check out Twitter "Iran elections" for late news on current political activity in Iran.