Doves Coo Softly

By Neil the Ethical Werewolf

Matt Yglesias comments on the "Why don't American liberals care about reform in Iran?" attack that goes around despite American liberals' genuine and well-documented interest in improving conditions in Iran. (The AFL-CIO and the Feminist Majority Foundation are among the groups Matt cites.) We're at a disadvantage here because our solutions are a lot quieter than conservative solutions.  It's a lot easier to get noticed when you're calling for war than when you want something as wonkish and mild-mannered as the offer of an economic recovery package contingent on improvements in women's rights, or closely directed political pressure on some little-known Iranian figure.  Also, any of our proposals to work with reformist groups in Iran have to be communicated subtly -- we don't want to undermine the reformers by making them look like American puppets.  So we can't yell as loud as the pro-war people do.