Whether lesser-evil politics is advisable depends on conditions of countries. I advocate choosing the lesser evil in Iran*, Lebanon**, Syria***, and other countries where options are limited and consequences of choosing a wrong course can be incomparably severer than they would be in countries like the USA, the UK, Germany, Japan, and so on.
* I'd side with those university students against Ahmadinejad if they represented a revolutionary movement capable of overthrowing the present government of Iran and establishing a better one socially and economically, without the aid of the multinational empire. But that is not the case today. Last year, some reformists backed Rafsanjani in the runoff; others, like Shirin Ebadi and Akbar Ganji, called for boycotting the elections. Neither worked. ** <http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20060731/043316.html> *** <http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/pipermail/lbo-talk/Week-of-Mon-20060731/043428.html>
> You seem to be at odds with most, Iranian leftists on the Ahmadinejad
> question. Does that make you uncomfortable?
Not at all. I don't pretend any false modesty. I just am quite satisfactorily informed of many subjects, from British Romantic poetry to queer studies to the past and present of Iran. My Persian Prince is lucky to have me, though he doesn't know that. :-> Regardless, I'm lending him my cultural capital, the result of the sort of education he couldn't acquire. I'd consider it repayment if he proves capable of defending Iran from the multinational empire, politically, economically, and militarily. I'll dump him, as the Iranian people will, however, when he makes a pact with the Tel Aviv-Washington axis. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>