In Iran we are witnessing the latest conflict between two constantly battling world views: the idea is that there is one correct set of beliefs and behaviors that human beings should follow and the idea that humans should be at least somewhat free to believe and behave as they desire. It’s a battle between the open and closed minded—the very religious vs. the less dogmatic.

It shows once again that religion is often a surrogate for earthly wealth and power—in this case a particularly virulent form of power.

In this country it’s the Republicans that I identify with the type of closed minded power that seeks to tell everybody else how to live. The fact that they want to loudly declare the righteousness of the protester’s cause in Iran is exactly the opposite of what they would do if we had mass demonstration in the streets against some future unpopular right wing war or a more disastrous economic collapse that represented “letting the market work.”

If you look at the battle in Iran as being between the proponents of change and the keepers of the faith, it’s the Republicans who are most similar to the hard-line Islamists.