The Occasional Observer

Interesting poll out today, suggesting Iranians (the populace, not the government) really do want democracy, a new gov't, and abandonment of nukes if they could get economic aid.

If this is true, it suggests that the best approach to Iran might be to have the CIA fund insurgent groups inside Iran, try to rock the boat and overthrow the government from the inside. Force the people to have a vested interest in the game, that's the only way. Otherwise, you have the Iraq situation now where there is not enough commitment and buy-in from the residents themselves.

On the one hand, I'm suspicious as to whether the above poll is true, b/c this is the same party line I've heard for years, yet the people of Iran never seem to want it enough to rise up and overthrow the government. (I'd also heard that the people of Iraq were well-educated, civil, and would quickly embrace democracy, so there's that too.) On the other hand, the poll was run by joint group of Repubs and Dems and seems legit.