It’s a study in contradictions.
The extremist progressive youth of the American University.
And the extremist progressive youth of the Iranian university.
Both groups are students, living in that university milieu where anything feels possible, and you are driven by a sense of invincibility, that you can and will change the world for the better.
Only, for some reason, what today’s American “progressive,” even radical, college youth deem a cause worth fighting for seems often to be aligned with anti-West values and solidarity with autocratic regimes.
Over the last few years I have come across videos of students at various universities burning or disrespecting the American flag — our tangible symbol of American independence, freedom, sacrifice and dignity — while standing behind, say, the flag of Hamas, a terrorist regime, or taking political positions tantamount to ayatollah- or terrorist-sympathizing.
No doubt, this potential trend of radicals undermining their own country and its sacred symbols, executed in the name of free speech, on American universities is concerning. A distorted sense of outrage, of rallying behind a “cause,” is all the more alarming.
What highlighted this disturbing dichotomy between the students of America and Iran was an arresting image circulating in the news this week.
Inspirationally, thousands of Iranians protested their corrupted regime, specifically the downing of a Ukrainian plane. Unlike the entitled American students who artificially cultivate outrage against America — where they have the luxury of protesting whatever they want — these brave protesters are the “extremist progressives” of Iran. Indeed, being Iranian, demands they be brave in order to protest for their freedom, sometimes at the risk of their very lives.
As a way to literally trip these idealistic protesters, US and Israeli flags were cynically put down as a carpet in the location of the protests. The protesters would have to trampling flags representing Western governments, values and democracy.
What a clever, diabolical way to trap and manipulate these protesters to make them look as though they are taking a stand diametrically opposed to their intended cause. In Iran, the disrespecting flags of “the big satan,” America, and “the little satan,”Israel, are routine expressions of disapproval.
Brilliantly and intentionally, these Iranian protesters stepped out of the way, so as not to desecrate the flags of America or Israel.
Here are these Iranians, living under a corrupt dictatorship. They face daily suffering, pain and sorrow — real sorrow, not imagined hardships in the lap of American abundance and freedom. They understand that their government imposes chaos, misery, control and strife. In contrast, it’s plain as day to them that the American and Israeli flags represent everything they are deprived of and everything they can only dream of.
When American progressives align with terrorists, dictators and ayatollahs, let this sink in: They are undermining and thwarting the efforts of these very courageous, brave progressives in Iran and elsewhere — these common folk, “The People,” the American progressives’ counterparts, whose right to protest is not protected by their flag, whose decision to protest can cost them steeply, since what they are fighting for is actual freedom.
Which American progressives are blessed to have in spades.
You would think, these Iranian protesters biggest supporters in the world would be none other than America’s progressive community.
Instead, the thundering silence has been shocking and paradoxical.
A US representative — does it matter if he is Republican or Democrat? — put forth a resolution declaring support for the Iranian people: “. . . the world is watching, and the people of Iran need to know that they are not alone in this pivotal moment.” If that is not a humanitarian, bi-partisan effort, then I don’t know what is.
Yet, shockingly, this resolution was blocked by American “progressives.”
It’s confusing, illuminating and very telling, when I start feeling alienated from my own country’s “progressives” who seem to align with dictators — the inflictors of suffering on average citizens, and instead find myself rooting for the progressives in Iran — the innocent sufferers in the scenario, who somehow, astoundingly, despite living in a police state, despite being subjected to brainwashing, despite their pain and suffering, somehow they are the ones embodying the crystalline clarity of free, independent thought.
When an American or Israeli flag, symbolizing freedom of expression, the basic human right the Iranians are so profoundly deprived of, is shoved beneath you, you step aside, you show reverence — you show a living protest against your own oppressive regime’s flag.
Indeed, these two progressive sectors remain a study in contradictions.
Copyright © 2020 by the Intermountain Jewish News
