Originally posted by yuri31:[..]
Communication is the thingBut having heard Ahmadinejad's speech, it doesn't look like there's much to do in this case, this guy is just crazy.
guys...GUYS...don't make them filter U2Start as well

OK, here's the thing, "Iran" can be dangerous, yes, they can stop all their oil and gas transfers, they can block the Persian Gulf, which would hurt you guys really...they could set the middle east on fire, wars everywhere, extremist attacks everywhere, it's easy...this way all the major oil countries will be involved and the oil prices will shoot pretty high.
So that's about how dangerous these people can be if needed.
About Mr. Mahmoud, his latest speech, it's exaggerated, it's not that important. Even tho I don't exactly agree with him, the stuff he mentioned are in the minds of many muslim people these days...and let's face it, with what Israel did in Gaza, they don't look like saints either.
About relations with the US and the reactions to the Obama message. First of all, most people loved the message here, and are really hopeful for better relations. As for the government, you have to understand a few issues:
The president is nobody...he has no power on his own, all the power is the supreme leader's, he has to decide what to do. If he decides to be friends with Obama, it doesn't matter what Ahmadinejad has said so far, it will happen. But you have to understand his state of mind. He wants to keep his power, he doesn't want to give up anything. His power is based on the fact that the major clerics and also the hardliner people support him. These two groups supported Khomeini (the previous and first supreme leader) 100%, and they compare the current leader to him. Khomeini said that we would never be friends with the US, he said much tougher stuff about the US and the west too. Therefore, the supreme leader is scared of making the move, it will take some time, people's mindset has to change, the views have to be flexible enough for such a change so that he isn't afraid of losing his power.
See? Rambling on and on is a feature of all Iranians
