The reaction of the religious thugs in Iran to the popular uprising in response to their stolen election there is an interesting parallel to the reaction of the PAD to their putsch here in Thailand.

It demonstrates that those in power without popular support act in the same ways the world around, no matter their outward protestations of "faith" in religion, the nation, the King, what have you.

The only thing that counts to them is power and hanging on to it.

Let's hope that both the Iranian and the Thai people are successful in their respective face offs against those who have seized power in each country and are trying so hard not to relinquish it.

If they are successful it may spread to other countries in the world. Who knows? Maybe even we Americans will be shamed into standing up, wresting power from the cliques to whom we have given it, and taking responsibility for and charge of our wild, aggressive, war-mad, bankrupt nation.