It Could Happen Here Weekly 254

Carlos Berrios Polanco (0:03)

Hey, everybody.

Robert Evans (0:04)

Robert Evans here, and I wanted to let you know this is a compilation episode. So every episode of the week that just happened is here in one convenient and with somewhat less ads package for you to listen to in a long stretch if you want. If you've been listening to the episodes every day this week, there's going to be nothing new here for you, but you can make your own decisions.

Garrison Davis (0:28)

Welcome to It Could Happen Here. I'm Garrison Davis, joined by Robert Evans. Hello.

Robert Evans (0:36)

Hello, Garrison Davis. How are you doing today?

Garrison Davis (0:39)

I'm doing okay. I'm really, I'm getting prepared to vote. I'm psyching myself up.

Robert Evans (0:45)

Just like the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps told you to do, huh?

Garrison Davis (0:48)

I think that's what we want to start with. This isn't, this isn't, in general, this episode will be kind of going over the midterm polls as they are in early October, kind of what we can get a sense of the election, about a month out. Now that we're just a few weeks away from the election.

But a few weeks ago, the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Robert Evans (1:12)

Prince of the Pod.

Garrison Davis (1:15)

Sure. At this, you know, at this point, man, it's one bad day, full stalinist, full Maoist at this.

Robert Evans (1:26)

I mean, that's more, it's a slightly differentist.

Garrison Davis (1:29)

But a few weeks ago, the IRGC released a 26 page letter, not short, not strong on brevity. The IRGC addressed to the American people, a spokesperson from the IRGC told Reuters, quote, The American people are not knowledgeable about many developments. We believe if they knew more, they would think differently and take other decisions, unquote.

Robert Evans (1:56)

You guys might have more faith in the American people than I do at this point.

Garrison Davis (2:00)

The start of the letter and how it's addressed reads, to the honorable people of the United States of America, the scholars, the students, and the members of the media. I think that last part is important because at least some of them know that the American people are not reading a 26-page letter. This is going to be mostly read by journalists.

Robert Evans (2:18)

This is going to be read by nerds on Twitter and Blue Sky.

Garrison Davis (2:21)

And nerds on Twitter.

Robert Evans (2:23)

Yeah.

Garrison Davis (2:24)

Now, I actually was able to get a short video. The IJC also released a short video kind of summarizing the letter. And I will play that here for Robert.

So that's yeah, that's the special video.

Robert Evans (2:48)

Yeah, that really is. That's something else.

Garrison Davis (2:50)

So there's a few sections before. The bulk of the letter is arguing why Iran is the victor in the war, concrete evidence of Iran's victory. They have a section on the meaning of quote, death to America, which reads quote, death to America does not in any way express any ill will toward the American people who have themselves suffered through the same oppression. Death to America is a prayer for the eradication of the diabolical ruling elite whose seat of power is in the White House. And the letter goes on to say that the IJC and the people of Iran have no feeling of hostility toward the American people. And then they ask, how can the US be saved?

And this is what leads to the bulk of the letter, which is essentially trying to get Americans to vote harder. Oh, which, you're finished, fascism. Oh man. There's also a few other interesting kind of like name drops here. Quote, God will come to the aid of the American people if they decide to change course. Thankfully, Americans are waking up to the truth. Over the past two years, Americans have participated in numerous demonstrations in cities across the US to express their outrage at Israel's genocidal actions in Gaza. Moreover, the No Kings rallies that swept across the US last year were a nation.

We're a nation, right? Repudiation of the burgeoning autocratic tendencies within the American government. These powerful manifestations of collective action are evidence of a national awakening spreading through the US.

Polls show that the majority of Americans, especially younger Americans, no longer wish to be complicit in their government's crimes against other nations. Part of what makes this so funny to me is how dimensionally opposed it is to the messaging coming out of like, you know, US-based Maoists or like anti-imperialists, you know?

Robert Evans (4:41)

Oh yeah, like the US far left, absolutely. Yeah, they're so much, so much more generous to the American people.