Will the violence in Iran turn into another Hungary 1956?

The news out of Iran today is both stunning and joyous.

Shouting “death to the dictator,” Iranian protesters took to the streets again yesterday and today. In response, the government crackdown has become more violent — there’s tear gas in the streets, helicopters monitoring the scenes in the streets, burned out cars, and up to nine deaths. Reports say that soldiers fired upon unarmed dissidents. As the picture above shows, these are not scattered incidents, but large, organized groups of Iranian citizens willing to sacrifice their lives for their cause.

During the past few months, I admit that I read the news of the on-going protests with some skepticism. My cynical side told me that the protests would not last, that the iron claw of tyranny would have its way in Iran. Today’s news stories have convinced me that the protests are not going away. This is a confrontation that will either end in a bloody civil war or the ultimate overthrow of the religious fanatics controlling Iran.

Here’s my question for all those who opposed the Bush policy of regime change in Iraq: If the Iranian protesters ask for our help, should we intervene? Or should we do as we did in Hungary in 1956 and let the forces of tyranny crush this revolution?

Here are some incredible photos and videos of the Iranian protests as published today by the Los Angeles Times.

Faint praise from Politico as Hillary’s poll numbers soar.

With an approval rating some 24% higher than Barack Obama’s, you’d think that Hillary Clinton would get some credit for the great job she has done as U.S. Secretary of State.

Not gonna happen. At least not from Politico.

To read Politico’s report on the new poll, you’d think the only reason that a high percentage of voters approve of her is that she’s been hiding away in Chappaqua, New York. The reason Hillary is more popular than the president, says Politico, is that the president has been in the limelight tackling the tough issues while Hillary has been sequestered from the public eye.

Somehow that ignores that fact that the Secretary has traveled some 200,000 miles on behalf of the Administration. With one or two minor exceptions, observers agree that her performance abroad has been exceptional. Indeed, during the past year Americans have come to appreciate her unflappable work ethic and the realpolitik that informs her behavior on the world stage.

It’s also the case that Obama, try as he might, has had few victories either at home or abroad. That certainly will change, but for now the low approval rating correlates with his poor performance as president (the B+ grade he gave himself on the Oprah Winfrey special must have been based on a very generous curve).

According to the poll of self-avowed news hounds, Hillary’s favorability rating is at 75%, compared to 51% for her boss. Given her more balanced perspective on world events, a high percentage of Republicans — some 57% — also expressed approval of Hillary. The percentage of independents showing support was 65%.

The poll of 800 self-identified “news watchers” was conducted by the nonpartisan Clarus Research Group from December 7th to the 12th. An earlier poll conducted in October also showed Hillary with a higher approval rating than Obama’s.

A Christmas miracle for six homeless men in Keene, New Hampshire.

A Christmas Miracle for Six Homeless Men in Keene, New Hampshire

Here’s a story by Rake Morgan about six homeless men in Keene, New Hampshire, who have found some unexpected friends.

‘Tis the season when corporations use charitable donations as an excuse for self-serving front page “grip n’ grins” in the local newspaper. Around Christmas my newspaper is bursting with photos of business owners handing over checks to local charities. If giving is its own reward, why is the public forced to pat these do-gooders on the back, page after page after page?

As for the rest of us — this writer included — Christmas is the season when we cleanse ourselves of our guilt for all we haven’t done to help the needy during the rest of the year. A few bucks dropped in a Salavation Army kettle usually does it for me.

Then there are the true miracle workers. People who aren’t looking for a pat on the back, a clean conscience, or good PR in the local press.

Such a person is Tim Robertson, a resident of Keene, New Hampshire, who is letting six homeless men live in a make-shift shack on his property.

About two months ago, the six men — mostly unemployed construction workers — built a shelter to provide protection from the harsh New Hampshire winter.  The 20-by-20 structure is made of plywood and insulated, and has hand-crank windows. It is wrapped in a black plastic.

According to the Union Leader –

The building’s front door leads into a sort of mudroom, with another door into the main living area. There the men have set up six mattresses, discarded but still good, from a nearby mattress store. They have two wood stoves, a grill which doubles as a hot plate, a television, a DVD player, even a cat named Dylan. The roof is made of tin, and the structure is tied to trees and held up from the inside with large tree limbs and wood.

Town bureaucrats called Robertson about the shelter.

“I’ve never told them they could live there and I’ve never told them they couldn’t,” he said. “I knew they were there, but I basically just ignored it.” Robertson said he did not tell the city to have the men removed and really has no problem with the men being there.

Eventually the town sent someone out to inspect the shack. The main issue is that it was built without a permit. The residents have since fixed most of the other violations.

One of the residents, Todd Maliska, 48, said that most of the furnishings have been donated.  The residents have even made arrangements for trash removal. They bag it up and give it to a man who disposes of it for them. They also have cleaned up some of the abandoned camp sites left in the area by homeless who lived there before.

The town of Keene has not yet decided what to do. For a tightwad place like New Hampshire, the reaction from local residents has been surprisingly generous. Some commented to the Union Leader that the town should leave the men alone.

One writer said: “The last time I checked, this was the United States of America. Home of the free and the brave. As long as the land owner doesn’t mind these men living there (which he stated he does not) then let them be. Let’s stop this rediculous nonsense about code violations. These men have nowhere else to go.”

“The city can do whatever they want,” said one of the homeless residents.  “Unless the man who owns the land wants to get us out, we’re not leaving.”