The James Logan Courier

By John Chau, Courier managing editor

On Wednesday, the Iranian government issued statements condemning the newest Hollywood smash hit ‘300’, a historical film based on the final struggles between a group of martyred Spartans and the full force of Persian elite troops. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the film as an effort to demonize the Iranians for their nuclear advent. This statement is accompanied by governmental efforts to ban the showing of ‘300’ in the neighboring Muslim nations.

However, on Thursday, Iranian government also announced its dismissal towards any future U.N. sanctions. Despite protests over further nuclear research by moderate parties, President Ahmadinejad claims in a national rally that he regards the U.N. sanctions as ‘torn paper’, and that they will not hamper the nation’s radioactive enrichment. However, according to the U.N. sanction terms obtained by Reuters, in possibly the next week Iranians would be unable to export arms and obtain loans. Individual nuclear missile researcher’s assets would also be frozen.

True, Iran has a decent amount of oil, but it certainly is not Saudi Arabia, where oil moguls and princes can wallow in their petroleum-related revenues; without its arms trade, Iran would have nothing more than small scale workshops and farmland. Currently, the Iranians are suffering from high unemployment and inflation, even with the recent skyrocketing in fuel prices. Since arms dealing are one of Iran’s greatest trade categories, why isn’t Iran frightened by the bans?

Instead of worrying over the country’s economic woes and imminent sanctions, Iran is spending its energies over a historical film made thousands of miles away, hysterically declaiming the film’s depiction of Iranian troops. Is this their form of patriotism? If so, then they have forgotten the true aim of a nation, to provide for one citizen with law and prosperity.

Also, Iran’s reaction to this film suggests that the president himself is insecure over his nation’s reputation-what reputation? The Iranians have made themselves to the elephantine state within international politics, what with bullying the West with nuclear development as Mr. Kim of North Korea did. With this status, why would Iran be fearful of the media mice in infidel America? Clearly, the nation is in dire need of reform, both in developmental priority and in political morality. In its obsession with nuclear power, Ahmadinejad has forgotten about his people, screaming bloody murder at Hollywood and doing nothing to rectify the insecurity of Iranian image in his mind. It is sad indeed to know that a nation would fight for its honor on the records in history, and not for the welfare of its people and the future of a struggling land.

Truth. Freedom. Knowledge.