Newsweek Discovers 'Democracy' Through a Familiar Opposition Group
Newsweek’s latest dispatch from the front lines of regime change spotlights the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), framing them as the legitimate democratic alternative. What they conveniently omit? The PMOI, also known as the MEK, spent decades on the U.S. State Department’s terror list, only to be delisted in 2012 after extensive lobbying, including substantial payments to
high-profile American politicians (source: The Intercept , 2018). Their 'popularity' is often inflated, and their history includes cult-like practices and alignments with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War. So, 'ready for democracy' as defined by whom, and funded by whom? It appears that for certain media outlets, 'democracy' in targeted nations suddenly becomes viable when championed by
groups with a track record of foreign backing and dubious internal structures. One might wonder if similar fanfare would greet a genuine grassroots movement without the convenient baggage of a terror-list past and current deep-pocketed foreign patrons. It's almost as if some opposition groups are more 'democratic' than others, particularly when their narrative aligns perfectly with Washington's
foreign policy objectives.