That makes me an authority on the subject since so few living Americans have ever done so.
I could sit down with Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and at least 98 if not 100% of congress and explain why and how things are as they are.
Many would not want to believe me because they have a great deal of vested power in their political positions they want to protect and have villainized Iran to the point of wanting war with them.
There is a strong undercurrent of hate in this country that is focused on religions other than Christian as being evil. Some of the politicians use this hatred as a focusing point to hold power. Hitler used the Jews the same way. He was said to have said something to the effect that had he not had the Jews he would have had to invent them.
This hatred, along with a double dose of ignorance, effects and affects itself in our foreign policy.
We get a lot of hatred in return. Hatred is an emotion, not a cognitive process.
In psychology there is a phenomenon known as the Karpman Triangle and this triangle consists of three parts. One is the Persecutor one is the Victim and one is the Rescuer. A persecutor does not have to be a person, it can be a place or a thing but we need one for there to be a victim.
Now that we have a victim we need a rescuer. That is the weakest position to be in, the one with most consequences to pay.
Games don't have to be bad, but political games wind up that way, unless.....
A rule of the game is that games are played out of a state of awareness. People are unaware that they are in these games. A state of awareness in necessary to save yourself from the cruel game.
What goes on with Iran vs the western world goes back 2000 years before the United States with all its exceptionalism existed.
Religion plays a major role in all our lives whether we like it or not. The United States was founded on freedom of religion and also freedom from religion.
When i was a child in Sunday school i found myself stumped on how god could change Lott's wife to a pillar of salt for looking over her shoulder, yet in the alter above was a sign that said "God is Love". This conundrum helped to free me from religious dogma and the bias, prejudice and arrogance that so often accompany it.
Everyone knows the bible and the koran were written by men, not by an unseen being. A human being wrote it and the bible is full metaphors and analogies. It is too difficult to think about mortality when everlasting life is the desire. Is it not possible that we came from eternity and we will return there?
Therefore religion is a powerful force in our society and our politics.
Politics, by the way, were first. The religions came along later and each had to blend in to gain strength in the established culture. And gradually it has come to theocracies in some places.
This is the world today, the game that is being played uses countries as players, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Iran the U.S. and assorted Allies.
You can only see all this if you step out of the game. Take your emotions out of it an become an observer.
There is no reason for Iran to like us, yet they do. We overthrew their democratically elected government in 1952 and installed a dictator, the Shah. A despot. A deal cut with the petroleum industry in both the U.K. and U.S. and our leaders, Eisenhower and Churchill.
We supported Iraq's invasion of Iran in 1980. We attacked out of trumped up fear and greed their neighbors both to the West and East, Iraq and Afghanistan and threaten Iran with war if they build a nuclear weapon to defend themselves.
Iran has signed a nuclear treaty with China, Russia, England, Germany, the European Union and the United States. Our current presidential choice is between people who want to tear it up or want to keep it. A simple decision if you are not eaten up with hate and fear, they are emotions and religion is emotional.
Hate and fear are what a lot of our politicians preach. Part of their gospel to sway the flock toward their vote for salvation, all under the banner of god.
Can you imagine an atheist getting a fair shake if running for office? I cannot.
Stop being afraid, stop being angry, they are emotions, not cognitive processes, and we become able to step out of the game and observe what is going on without the emotion.
It is time to step out of the game, use our heads and seek a lasting peace with Iran, the people there desire it, the Ayatollah will ultimately listen to the will of the people, in the meanwhile we need to give him reason to believe peace is possible. Peace with Iran is a low hanging fruit, we need to pick it.
