Spice Up Your Life!

Proof positive that Bush needs to urge Iran along not with an iron fist, but with a supportive hand:

Hundreds of women staged an unauthorized demonstration in Tehran today, protesting sex discrimination under Iran's Islamic leadership just days before the June 17 presidential elections.

The protest was the first public display of dissent by women since the 1979 revolution, when the new regime enforced obligatory veiling. "We are women, we are the children of this land, but we have no rights," they chanted. More than 250 marched outside Tehran University, and about 200 others demonstrated two blocks away after hundreds of riot police swarmed in and barred them from joining the main protest.

Isn't that great? You see, we don't need to run around invading everyone; sometimes freedom comes around uninvited. Just today on The McLaughlin Group, John was talking about his recent trip to Iran. Despite the veil law, many women don't wear veils even right out on the street. And slowly but surely, their headdresses are inching back as well as their skirts inching up. It'll take decades, but hey - when did we get mini-skirts? In the 60s? And people freaked. Our women were allowed to vote 85 years ago, but when did they become equals in the workplace? The 80s? Maybe not, hey, I saw 9 to 5. The point being, it takes time.

So let's be generous and say Iran is 100 years behind us. Unfortunately, they have to deal with nuclear weapons and oil and religious fundamentalism. But I'll make you a bet that I never have to honor - in 100 years they're going to have women running for office, wearing what they want, and an honest to god democracy.

If Bush fucks this shit up, all bets are off.