Looking at Iran

George Packer wonders why right-wing observers seem to welcome the corrupt Ahmadinejad re-election, and leftish observers demand that Westerners accept it. He concludes:

It’s remarkable how difficult it’s been for writers of many different ideological persuasions to say that scenes like this... are shameful. The reason, of course, has everything to do with the wars of the Bush years, at home and abroad, which have left so many thoughtful people incapable of holding onto the most basic thought. But it’s a mistake to let your attitude toward historic events be shaped and deformed by the desire not to sound like a neo-con, or to sound like a neo-con reborn. Trust the evidence of your eyes.