Absolutely. In other words, treat this "news" like any other
releases. While I replied to the article, I have not taken the time
to check the reliability of the author, Erwin Freed, or his sources,
Carl Jarvis
On 5/12/18, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
I'd suggest that we use caution when reading or hearing news about Iran. I
heard some discussion about this unrest a few months ago on podcasts, and
there appeared to be some question about just why this unrest was occurring,
whether it was actually dissatisfied workers who were responsible, whether
other countries had undercover people in the country who were responsible,
etc. Given what we know about Israel, Saudi Arabia, and our Neo Cons, and
what we know about anti-Iran feeling in the area and the power of
propaganda, who knows what is actually going on? Of course, it may all be
true, but I haven't heard any leftist Iranians talking about it, nor have I
seen articles by such people about it.
Miriam
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2018 10:20 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: Social unrest on the rise once again in Iran
Somewhere today I vow to find some "good news".
Carl Jarvis
On 5/12/18, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
https://socialistaction.org/2018/05/11/iranian-social-unrest-on-the-ri
se-once-again/
Social unrest on the rise once again in Iran
/ 24 hours ago
June 2018 IranBy ERWIN FREED
At the beginning of 2018, Iran saw the largest uprising of labor
militancy in a decade. The Islamic Republic’s armed goons managed to
smash the resistance of workers and peasants, killing dozens and
jailing hundreds in the process. But Iranian workers have remained
mobilized, while the social conditions in the country remain the same, if
not worse.
Iranian workers are still experiencing high unemployment rates,
officially between 12% and 60% depending on the location; falling
wages, with much of the working population going months without pay;
and skyrocketing commodity prices. For example, “the prices of eggs,
meat, and bread are rising more than 10% a year,” according to The
Wall Street Journal (May 6, 2018).
The government of President Hassan Rouhani has been cutting back on
state services, temporarily ending a very popular cash-transfer
program in January before being forced to reinstate it due to popular
opposition. Many workers do not have health insurance or pensions and
are forced to take multiple low-paying jobs.
In response to these conditions, workers across the country have gone
on strike and protested in the face of brutal state repression. The
National Coalition of Resistance in Iran has reported daily actions
since the beginning of the year. Major actions include nearly a week
of illegal mass protests in mid-April by workers and farmers in the
county of Kazerun, a weeks-long strike of thousands of steelworkers in
Khuzestan over back pay in March, and teachers’ protests in Tehran at
the time of this writing (May 10, 2018). These actions represent a
tiny proportion of the activity taken by the Iranian working class this
year.
The state expected that normalized trade relations with the United
States following the 2015 “Iran Deal” would lead to an improved
economy; however, lifting sanctions only served to sharpen the class
struggle.
When the government’s promises of improved living conditions for
workers after the deal failed to be realized, and food prices
continued to rise, the country exploded.
Along with demands for better wages and social services, Iranians have
been calling for an end to the one-party political system, freedom for
jailed workers, and women’s rights. On the last point, hundreds of
women have been arrested since January for publicly taking off their
veils. A further demand is that the Iranian government stop funding
military excursions in Syria, Yemen, and throughout Africa, although
it is unclear from what section of society this call is coming from.
As Trump moves to withdraw from the “Iran Deal,” the short-term future
of the Iranian ruling class remains unclear. To maintain
profitability, Iran needs foreign investment in new extractive
technologies, meaning closer relationships with the technically savvy
imperialist powers. On the other hand, Iranian development since the
revolution has relied heavily on state direction, surely not the most
attractive thing to big international capitalists. So far, the means
of getting past this contradiction has been to drive Iranian workers into
further misery.
However, the Iranian working class has a long and proud history of
working struggle, and given the current balance of forces, the scale
could very quickly be tipped in their favor.
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May 11, 2018 in Middle East. Tags: Iran
Related posts
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