Monday, March 10, 2008
Another justification why elections do not matter in the Islamic Republic of Iran
SaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardSaggezardIn the world of economics, there is a concept called the "rentier effect", this idea explained, gives another reason why elections by governments as the Islamic Republic of Iran is democratically meaningless and redundant. Rentier in itself stands for: a rent receiving entity. The rentier effect finds a fundamental relationship between state run oil industries and barriers to democratization. In such countries a government relies to a large degree and sometimes almost completely on oil revenues for its budgetary needs, relying less on its citizens' taxes to run the government. One might say this can be a good thing: less pressure on people to meet the government budget with their hard earned money in form of taxes, but in such economies, democratizing elements of free trade diminish or disappear. There is less incentive for a "rentier state" to help its citizens increase efficiencies of trade through regulation or deregulation, and no urgent need to encourage an increase in personal wealth which would positively effects tax revenues. On the other hand this government has a huge incentive to increase its main source of oil income without attracting opposition from its citizens. Such governments kept unchecked, usurp the wealth of the people and would want to sell the future income from the same resources, as soon as possible. In general governments that hold absolute legal and sole property rights to the country's resources such as the government of the Islamic Republic and the likes such as Libya, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and etc. do not need their people except for defense or the day to day operations of the government, such as stifling dissent and preservation of status quo. Such countries might as well be empty spans of unpopulated deserts, decorated with pumps and pipelines which deliver crude oil to savvy foreign clients, as efficiently as possible. What is interesting is that the oil revenues collected by the government is calculated as part of the per capita GNP income by international organizations such as the IMF and the World Bank, while that money is being used mainly on the security apparatus to keep the same individual in check. In reality a "rentier state" acts very similar to a colonial occupier with every reason to weaken or eliminate its existential threats.
On the day after the Islamic Majles (Parliament) elections of March 14th, we may see a different make up of candidates win, perhaps more reformists, or we may be presented surrealistically but entirely possibly, with the exact same candidates as the previous term. The bottom line is that the policies of the Islamic regime ruling Iran, will be evolving along the lines of assuring the survival of the establishment that has been in place for almost thirty years, serving the same economic interests. This, I say is rational, they are not totally crazy.
Listed below are links related to the "rentier effect", some with very interesting Iran related comparative data. You judge for yourself whether we need fundamental and radical change in Iran. There is hope for the future but it depends on what we do today, so take action, and start by boycotting the Islamic Republic, and expose their evil existence for all to see.
1- OIL AND THE RENTIER STATE: IRAN'S CAPITAL FORMATION, 1960-1997
http://www.luc.edu/orgs/meea
2- Does Oil Hinder Democracy?
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?uri=
3- Rentier state
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
4- Dutch disease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
5- Resource curse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
6- Short from a blog
http://onegoodmove.org/1gm
7- Oil and Democracy
http://oildemocracy.blogspot
Labels: Democracy, Economy, Election, IRAN, Islam, oil, rentier, rentier effect
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Oil Money the Ayatollahs' Jugular Vein
4.1 million barrels per day of crude oil are the official exports volume of Islamic Republic of Iran according to OPEC. With the current market price of $75 the revenues of the mullah regime add to over $300 million per day, and this figure is only for crude oil exports and not from any other government run exports such as liquefied Natural Gas, mining products and other revenue forms in the form of real production and also shady and illegal activities such as smuggling of contrabands internationally. Yet the economy of Iran has been suffering the worse seen since World War One years. During the Iran-Iraq war the economy was in better shape. So what is happening to all the revenues in the Islamic republic’s coffers, estimated to receive monthly inflows of close to $15 billion? There are reports that the Islamic regime pays four million people, mostly low income women with children between $50 to $60 per month, in exchange for this amount the recipients are required to attend government rallies, Friday prayers sermons, in addition they are minders for their neighborhoods concerning counter revolutionary activities and a number are on call to participate in breaking up pro democracy demonstrations. the total cost of this program could cost upwards of $240 million per month.
Support for foreign movements such as Hezbolah of Lebanon, Palestinian Hamas, Free oil exports to the Syrian government and possibly North Korea. This program could run up to $450 million per month.
The Iranian security and intelligence services known as SAVAMA or VEVAK have reportedly increased operational personnel and infrastructure five folds compared to SAVAK, the Shah's ministry of intelligence still on the tips of the tongues of many western sophists. The budget of running this operation is estimated to be around $300 million per month with estimated personnel of over 150,000. This does not include other parallel intelligence services operated by the Islamic Regime as seen in high gear during the Khatami presidency.
The costs of the nuclear program, the military and its weapons’ acquisitions and production, and the corruption involved in the daily running of the government is a behemoth. The government of Ahmadinejad was questioned by the Majlis about his tens of billions of unaccounted spending for the previous year over its approved budget, and the response was: well, previous governments spent a lot of money as well.
So let us ask once more: why do the Iranian people sit still and do not move against the corrupt regime if they truly want freedom? My answer is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a very advanced dictatorship, a police state probably more sophisticated than any other seen in history. The only objective of the Mullahcracy is to preserve its own existence and ensure its leaders’ very lucrative ride.
The prospect of Iran being attacked by foreign forces makes me sick. How could I wish so desperately for any foreign force to attack my only homeland? However I know for a fact that the Islamic regime is an occupier of my homeland, an unwanted, un-elected, undeserving regime ruling over Iran with brutal force, very much acting like a self righteous alien occupier.
In conclusion I feel the years long procrastination at the UN, IAEA and international community have to come an end. I do not understand why the regime of Iran, devious, criminal at home and abroad, long known and proven to be a terrorist state causing instability everywhere it spreads its claws should deserve a continuous access to the revenues from the oil markets of the world. The Islamic regime could have been suffocated long ago if its oil exports had been embargoed. It is not too late to crush the Islamic republic without having to fire a shot.Labels: Embargo, HAMAS, IRAN, oil, Sanction, SAVAK, SAVAMA
