Why Mogadishu matters more than Tehran

Over the past few weeks there has been quite a bit of media coverage of the situation in Iran. Apparently, the dictatorial regime in charge has been accused of rigging the "democratic" elections. There have been massive street protests and horrendous amounts of police brutality and repression of freedom-loving democratons. Wait. Let's get the facts straight here...

True- Ahmadinejad's election was probably rigged.
According to polling results, the actual number of voters in some regions is twice the number of inhabitants. And these massive numbers of voters voted for Ahmadinejad. This seems to be in keeping with the percentages he won in the 2005 elections. Which it does a very good job of. So, the ruling elite can point and say, "He got the same percentage of votes as last time." This is in fact a farce.

False- Ahmadinejad's opponents would herald a new era in Iranian politics.
To be perfectly honest, the presidential election in Iran is more like the caucuses here in the US. You have a bunch of elites running on essentially the same platform, all of whom have to be selected by the party elite in order to run. Except in Iran, there aren't two parties working against each other. There's just the one. So it turns out that we just get an Obama v. Gore, or Bush v. Cheney sort of election. While the election was rigged, it really doesn't matter. What matters is way beyond anything this election could fix.

Iran has some pretty serious issues. None of these relate to the elections. The protests in the streets are a waste of energy and are detrimental in the long run. Iran will not change over night. Two years from now (sans intervention of course) it will still be the Middle East's "Bad Guy." It will still want nukes, it will still be run by clerics and it will still have no chance in hell of a place at the international family table.

So, nothing has changed. Nothing will change. And Obama can't do a damned thing about it. Neither can Gordon Brown, albeit if Obama was in Brown's shoes that might be another story...

This brings me to my main issue with the coverage of Iran: IT'S NOT THAT IMPORTANT!!!

Look at what has been happening in Somalia.

-Hasn't had a stable government since 1991
-An extremist Islamic group al-Shabab controls roughly 1/3 of the country
-Pirates control the northern coasts
-The AU, the EU, the UN and the US all say,"But... we just don't know if you're worth it..."

Here's an idea: Let's all sit idly by while a new Taliban sets up camp next door to the Suez Canal. That seems like a brilliant concept right? That way they can bomb ships much easier and have greater access to, well, everything. Afghanistan doesn't have a coast on one of the busiest shipping corridors in the world!! Somalia does!!

The worst part? Al-Shabab is not a homegrown group. Most Somalians are moderate or just really laid back about religion. These terrorists/militants/bad people are pouring in from other countries because they can. They seem to know that the US/UN/EU/AU/NATO/insert acronym here won't do a damned thing to stop them. At least until it's too late.

The people of Somalia are suffering because of past interventions, but will we step in to help? Will Europe? Will Somalia's neighbors? The US just announced a shipment of arms to the UN-backed government. That kind of action hasn't helped over the last 18 years, why would it help now? A lot of the pirates and terrorists are using weaponry we sent there over the last two decades against us and the Somali government.

Somalia - 10; Iran- 0

Look at what is happening to Roma across Europe:

-Kicked out of Northern Ireland by a bunch of racist morons
-Living in slums across Europe for little reason (including Italy, France, Germany- all of the "enlightened" European countries)
-Laws are being passed stripping them of their rights- see Italy

Where is the press coverage of this? Well...they don't have the right popular appeal...

Where is the press coverage? Watching South Carolina governor's talk about infidelity. Scrutinizing how that will affect his chance of becoming president. It didn't hurt Bill. And he came from Arkansas!

Who cares about IRAN? People are dying in Somalia at a much faster rate- due primarily to pathetic attempts in the past to "help." Roma are living in poverty unlike that of most of Iran. 150 people are massacred in Zimbabwe last year- we are just now hearing about it... makes me glad I purchased a "bloodless" diamond (considering the Kimberley Process is bullshit.)

Sorry. That rant was justified. I'm sick of hearing about the oppression in Iran. It's actually pretty similar to some scenes from earlier in the year... at the G20 in London... albeit different, because it's Tehran.

I'm tired. Peace.