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Michael Rowan: Brothers

Although the border between their two countries stretches half way around the glove, the fellowship between the presidents of Iran and Venezuela is well founded.

Both are engaged in a religious quest to reverse the forces of globalization. Both reject modern times in favor of past glory. Both are fundamentalist revolutionaries standing against the evil of the material world. Both see the United States as an imperial empire and the greatest terror threat on earth. Both have oil that they use as a weapon to scare their enemies. Both are preparing for war. Both call for the extinction of their presumed enemies with vehement threats. Both seek to become regional and perhaps world leaders of a new moral order. Both abrogate treaties with absolute righteousness. Both suppress internal opposition to their rule. Both want respect and are outraged when it is not forthcoming. Both are driven by messianic zeal. Both feel anointed by God for their mission on earth. Both rule failing economies miserable from poverty. Both want the price of oil to skyrocket. Both are monopolists. Both are concerned about their sovereignty if not the sovereignty of others in their way. Both are considered to be rogue elephants, but both consider the entire herd to be rogue. Both defend violence in order to defend themselves from violence. Both rule over increasingly bloody countries. Both expect to be sacrificed or assassinated for a just cause. Both feel victimized by the world. Both are autocrats posing as democrats. Both view the world in moral terms, where they are right and others are wrong. Both are righteously intolerant. Both run closed and controlled countries. Both are belligerent. Both can be charming and humorous and glib. Both wait and pray for Armageddon. Both expect invasion and war as inevitable. Both see themselves as prophets. And while many think they are insane, both think the world is insane.

Michael Rowan's column is published by El Universal (Caracas) every Tuesday (mrowan@cantv.net) - Read about Michael Rowan's book "Getting Over Chavez and Poverty" at michael.rowan.book@gmail.com. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

Editor's Note: This commentary was originally published special for El Universal, Sept 26, 2006. Petroleumworld reprint this article in the interest of our readers. Petroleumworld not necessarily share these views.

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Petroleumworld News 10/06/06

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