What is the Meaning of ‘Managing the Animosity with the US?’

Roozonline - Sometimes expressions reveal deeper intentions. An example of this is when Majlis representative Mr. Bahonar mentioned the concept of “Managing the animosity with the US,” an idea supported by supporters of the Islamic Coalition (Motalefe) party. The mention of something like this clearly means that the traditional right in Iran has still not realized that creating enemies ultimately imprisons it in the circle of the extreme right-wingers and will throw the country into a whirlwind. More importantly is that along with this announcement, Bahonar and other affiliates on the right also insist on keeping the political atmosphere of the country closed and are against the release of political prisoners. So what do these positions tell us?

The issue is not the nature of the US or its policies. It is the purpose behind launching such concepts which is to hold people and Iran in the clasps of a small group of people by using foreign policy as an excuse so they can imprison the whole country and remain in the monopoly of power. Otherwise, where in religion or its dictates is there talk of managing animosity forever? In other words, if the issue is not religious – which of course it is not – but political, we must see who benefits from it.

The notion of “managing the animosity with the US” has a secret which is nothing other than perpetuating the management of a people, something that its advocates have failed. This is a process that in the last eight years alone during which the country earned more than $700 billion in oil revenues but brought economic development to the rate of zero and even relegated the authority of the government to irresponsible interest gangs and bands who solely pursued their own interests.

As a result of insisting on this concept of “managing the animosity with the US” by depending on the religious, cultural and civilizational credibility of Iran, its oil revenues and then its regional role in the world will be in the benefit of a small group of people that will ultimately result in harm to everybody, and we see the experience of former Soviet before our eyes.

But can we let our three potentials and credibility be destroyed so easily? These are not in the hands of one faction or ideology in Iran. But a faction is strongly insisting on continuing its monopolistic management by taking the domestic policy as ransom through the erroneous foreign policy of the country.

It has become clear today which policy can better revive Iran and bring it credit and power. Even if we look through the glasses of the Iranian regime, the behavior of the reform government was much better than that of the ninth and tenth administrations for Iran’s standing. Of course Iran’s regional and international position can be regained even better through domestic democratic means.

So rather than “managing animosity with the US” or any country, what we need is managing our interactions with the world so that we can utilize our civilization potentials, benefit from our regional position for national strength and use our oil revenues for the stable development of the country.

We must take a step forward and instead of managing animosity with the US and the West – something that has resulted in creating enemies – think about how to manage our interactions with the world.

An important aspect of foreign policy is that it remain the extension of domestic policy and domestic policy be based on democracy, development and an open atmosphere. Any state that follows this will have international respect, even if the West or the US are not happy with it. Such a government or state will always have the ability to advance its interests in the world.

A professional look points to successful foreign policies of Western countries, India and Turkey in their communications with the US. We can identify which domestic policy should go with which foreign policy. It is by presenting a practical policy to public opinion we can force a government to take a specific communication policy vis-à-vis us. We must inform civil society about this. The pro-democracy movement in Iran needs to present a specific policy in this regard.