Fuel shortages in northern Iran sparks riots

[phantom power]

Residents of Qaemshahr gathered outside the governorates office building yesterday to protest against the government's inaction to resolve fuel shortages after a gas supply cut off over the past two weeks. Lack of any move by the authorities to deal with the crisis while the country is going through one of its coldest winters angered protesters. They attacked the building and set fire to the offices.

The protest which started at around 14:00 local time yesterday went on till early hours of evening as the crowd grew in size spreading to other parts of the town.

Similar protests were reported in other towns and cities in the province including Sari and Babol. In these protests the crowds were shouting anti-government slogans damning the regime for its incompetence with record oil revenue. They were calling the leaders of the regime "a bunch of thieves and murderers" and ridiculing Ahmadinejad by saying, "instead of fighting the whole world you should resolve our basic requirements."

As a result of severe fuel shortage bakeries cannot meet the demand and there are long queues for bread where people have to wait till late hours in the evening in the freezing cold weather.

Iran has one of the highest oil and gas reserves in the world and yet relies largely on refined petroleum imports.

http://www.ncr-iran.org/content/view/4620/152/

[GliderGuider]

1. Does it seem to anyone else that we are seeing a lot of stories like this lately?

There are an awful lot of countries that are reporting energy problems - fuel shortages, brownouts and blackouts - and they're not the usual sub-Saharan suspects. Argentina, Bolivia, Pakistan, Iran, Libya, South Africa, Jamaica, Australia, Viet Nam, Nicaragua etc. If enough of these dots appear and I connect them all, I wonder if the picture of a bunny rabbit will appear?

[phantom power]

2. It's a picture of a wolf.

At the door.

[GliderGuider]

3. Shut up. It's a bunny rabbit. Michael Yergin told me so.

[phantom power]

4. OK, it's a bunny:

[GliderGuider]

5. Crap. I didn't think it would be THAT bunny...

[phantom power]

6. I bet *you* knew, in your heart. But we should send Mr. Yergin a memo.

You know, that whole scene is actually a pretty good metaphor for the current state of world-problematique dialog. Everybody's bringing their swords to a bun-fight.

Tim: There he is!
King Arthur: Where?
Tim: There!
King Arthur: What? Behind the rabbit?
Tim: It *is* the rabbit!
King Arthur: You silly sod!
Tim: What?
King Arthur: You got us all worked up!
Tim: Well, that's no ordinary rabbit.
King Arthur: Ohh.
Tim: That's the most foul, cruel, and bad-tempered rodent you ever set eyes on!
Sir Robin: You tit! I soiled my armor I was so scared!
Tim: Look, that rabbit's got a vicious streak a mile wide! It's a killer!
Sir Galahad: Get stuffed!
Tim: He'll do you up a treat, mate.
Sir Galahad: Oh, yeah?
Sir Robin: You manky Scots git!
Tim: I'm warning you!
Sir Robin: What's he do? Nibble your bum?
Tim: He's got huge, sharp... er... He can leap about. Look at the bones!
King Arthur: Go on, Bors. Chop his head off!
Sir Bors: Right! Silly little bleeder. One rabbit stew comin' right up!

(after Bors is killed by the killer rabbit)
Tim: I *warned* you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you *knew*, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little *bunny*, isn't it?

[GliderGuider]

7. That really is a nifty metaphor!

[Nihil]

8. One point alone should serve to unify people:

> They were calling the leaders of the regime "a bunch of thieves and
> murderers" and ridiculing <the leader> by saying, "instead of fighting
> the whole world you should resolve our basic requirements."

This statement (with only the name changed) could have been quoted by
anyone in the US, UK, Iraq, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan (+ most of the
other 'stans) and several other countries too.

Each of them is run by a regime of thieves and murderers.
Each of them is ignoring the needs of their citizens.
Each of them uses distraction as a means of justifying the above.

The actual people of the world have so much more in common than their
leaders are prepared to admit. This similarity will only increase as
the global crises increase but, in each country, the ruling junta will
use distraction, alienation & overt aggression to shift the blame away
from those responsible.

:-(

[losthills]

9. Truer words were never spoken...