Millions turned out to publicly mourn the passing, 21 years ago, of Ayatollah Khomeni who led the revolution which overthrew the despotic Shah of Iran and replaced him with a totalitarian Islamic theocracy. Worth the trade? I hardly think so. But that is not the real question today, as speeches given by the current leadership excoriated the United States, rebuked as heretics any who challenged the current regime and predicted the end of Israel.
The real question today is not about the past. It’s about the present and how it helps us build a better future. How do we get past the options of banging the drums of inevitable war with Iran, as some seem to love doing, or of pretending that today’s Iran shouldn’t scare pretty much anyone able to read this post, as the way to avoid how tough the situation is?

We start by asking better questions about the meaning of those millions who took to the streets to mourn Ayatollah Khomeini. If they are there because the idolize him and believe that today’s Iran honors his legacy, then things are worse than many want to admit.
If the average Iranian believes that the totalitarian theocracy of 21st century Iran is the best way forward for their nation, then those of us who oppose theocracy and or totalitarianism need to speak out much more forcefully about the challenge of Iran. It does not matter that this has traditionally been an issue for conservatives and or Republicans. In fact, many of the human rights abuses and church-state issues (or mosque-state) in Iran, are the bread and butter of liberal advocacy groups in the US. So why not when it comes to Iran?
On the other hand, if the millions turned out because they were coerced by the government, then things may be more promising than we often imagine. It may be that people are not so happy with the status quo. It may be that more people than many imagine are still looking for a new way forward. And if that is the case, then offering something other than stark choices between American culture and Islamic totalitarian culture is incredibly important.

I know that like so much of what goes on in the Middle East, and especially in light of this past week’s events off the coast of Gaza, we tend to see what we already believe, rather than ask how new events present new opportunities. I also know that if we want things to improve, whatever our definition of that word is, we need to do more than use current events to confirm past conclusions.
As Albert Einstein remarked, “no problem could ever be solved at the level of consciousness which created it”. Nowhere more than in our thinking about the Middle East, should that insight be forward in our minds.