Iran: Rohani forms cabinet, appoints female VP

[MADem]

26. The Supreme Leader is playing Bread and Circuses as much as he can.

He's not stupid--he knows what people want, so he doles it out to them to take the pressure off other issues, like a stagnant economy. The Guardians have zero intention of losing their grip on power. Everyone on the ballot at the last election was hand vetted by them. Hundreds of candidates--real reformers, some of them--also wanted to run, but they were not allowed onto the ballot. The Guardians limit the amount of political 'movement' that is permitted.

Picture a country where Catholic or Episcopalian priests, or Baptist ministers, ran everything--they had all the political power, they networked, they made the decisions that affected everyone's daily life--and they were the final 'authority.' No arguments--and their really loyal little churchgoers acted as their eyes and ears at the neighborhood level, as "enforcers."

It's kind of irritating, because I think the country would be much more progressive if only the ulema would back off and let nature take its course.