Left: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei presiding over chants of “Death to America” – July 2015 (MEMRI TV)
In his remarks before the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama attempted to dismiss the function of “Death to America” calls by the Iranian leadership in keeping millions of their people energized and busy.
The huge demonstrations in which such statements are made are never spontaneous or cheap. They require careful planning and organizing. These require payments to many people, keeping them busy for a long time before, during and after each event.
Delivering millions of people to the annual event to celebrate the takeover of the American Embassy in Iran in 1979, for example, keeps many thousands of planers, advertisers, street cleaners, bus and truck drivers, graphic designers to create signs, sound systems workers, electricians,media, communication, law enforcement and medical emergency crews, as well as kitchen operators and food suppliers to feed the gathering, to name a few of the “Death to America” demonstration related jobs, very busy. All these and the millions who attend are paid either directly by the sate or by one of the bonyads (charities), which are also under the Ayatollah’s control.
Employing millions on a regular basis to chant “Death to America” helps the regime not only to better control the disenfranchised and the unemployment rate, but also in controlling the minds of crowds who enthusiastically repeat their leaders’ chanting “Death to America.” This also helps garner more martyrs to fight the regime’s enemies.
The Iranian theocracy is not alone. Radical Muslim leaders of different persuasions have been doing the same. And while large-scale perpetual incitement costs a lot, the more they spend, the better their ability to distract their subjects from demanding education, jobs and a higher standard of living.
The more “Death to America” chanting jobs, the larger the number of highly indoctrinated regime- dependents to keep the regime going and to join the fight against the “Big Satan.”
Undoubtedly, part of the billions of dollars Iran is about to receive for its reluctant agreement to sign the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action P5+1 and EU, will go towards the creation of new jobs necessary to nurture mortal hate towards America, whether Obama likes it or not.