Power to the People

Michael Ledeen, The Corner:

For those who have not yet learned that Sharansky's basic insight into the importance of freedom is so very right, this in from Iran (from Regimechangeiran.com):

the Islamic Republic has now specifically announced that should their nuclear dossier be voted for referral by the United Nations Security all political prisoners, whether on furlough or in prison, will be summarily executed.

A regime that kills its own citizens will not hesitate to kill its external enemies. A regime that unhesitatingly provides Hizbollah with the missiles to kill Israeli and Iraqi civilians (and lock Lebanese civilians into places where they then invite Israeli attack) will not hesitate to kill its own civilians.

The only durable remedy for this is the civilization of the population, and then entrusting it with the power to govern itself. If only our leaders were more familiar with the democratization programs in Germany and Japan we might have a clearer understanding of today's problems.