Not surprising to anyone who follows the course of history and how citizens will rally around the flag when faced with external threats, the Iranian people are exhibiting the age old behavior. This is comes in despite of well published opinion that the majority of Iranians wish to see the current Iranian regime replaced. The craziness associated with the 2009 elections and the extreme government crackdown on dissension seemed to validate much of the premise. However, those are internal struggles in which contempt breeds solidarity in reaction to injustice. So, too, does it relate to external forces and perceived injustices by the hands of foreign governments. The highly touted sanctions from the West are doing nothing to weaken the regime but, in fact, are causing hardships on the Iranian people. Their fears and contempt are being channeled away from their government and towards those they see responsible.
Right or wrong is not the issue here. It’s human nature and certainly nothing new. One wonders what today would be like if the Western nations were more supportive of the Iranians contempt when it was being channeled in the right direction.
Even as daily life in Tehran trudges along in the face of incessant talk of war, many said they a growing desire to sacrifice for the defense of their country, even if that means pursuing a career in what has become perhaps the country’s most dangerous field — nuclear physics.
More from GlobalPost: Iran announced nuclear advances
After the apparent assassination in January of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, an Iranian nuclear scientist and a professor at Tehran’s highly-regarded Sharif University, more than 100 students signed a petition requesting to change their majors to fields related to nuclear studies.
Although some cast the move aside as nothing more than propaganda, it was nonetheless a sign that younger Iranians — with bright futures — are still willing to go to bat for their country. (Global Post: In Iran, nationalism stirs)
