This discussion of Mousavi’s being “more of the same” brings up another interesting point. The demonstrators are rallying around him, and he is the hero (and, perhaps, the martyr) of their cause. But the real significance of this event could turn out to be the dismantling of the mullahs’ whole regime. If that does happen, then there will be a large power vacuum, and the best thing for the world would be for someone who isn’t a pro-nuclear weapons, formerly mullah-approved politician to take over. I.e. someone other than Mousavi.

An appropriately cagey U.S. president might be withholding any major words of support for the Mousavi supporters now, on the theory that he doesn’t want to appear to have been loyal to Mousavi later, if there should arise a competition between Mousavi and a more desirable alternative.

I do not believe that we actually have an appropriately cagey U.S. president. I think we have a dangerously incompetent imbecile who is acting the way he is because he doesn’t want to offend the mullahs. But it is something to think about.