Notations From the Grid: ON #theIranDeal (with Brief late breaking developments)

The debate over the Iran Deal has continued at a fast and furious pace as Members of Congress have been declaring their intentions over the past few weeks.  The latest to oppose is Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona who expressed his reservations over the weekend.  This is as nuclear experts signed a letter in support of the agreement and as 36 retired high ranking officers came out in support of the deal.    This is as MoveOn has spreaheaded a campaign in support of the deal.    

The opposition has been hard at work.   Our team has seen estimates of upward of $ 40 Million Dollars spent by AIPAC and its' allied organizations trying to scuttle the deal.     It is interesting how similar strands of arguments have been made by   more conservative elements within #Iran as well.   Such organizations have included JINSA, UANI  and a number of others.   What is clear, though, that it is going to be a struggle to the finish.

One very interesting sentiment on the true reality was expressed by Professor Dabashi of Columbia as the Supreme Leader continues his stance on how there were be no further compromise beyond the nuclear deal: 

the Ayatollah protests too much --on every occasion he has he wants to assure himself --more than he does anyone else...
Posted by Hamid Dabashi on Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Change is in the air--and it is evident as Iran is opening up and the World is opening up to Iran.   The Economist reminded the World that the Revolution is over--we could not agree more:




As we went to press with this latest edition of "Notations", one leading Republican came out in favor of the deal:  Richard Lugar, the Former Senator from Indiana and a long time Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.     This is as Senator Menendez came out against the deal--as two additional Democratic Senators came out in Support.    @POTUS (which is Twitter speak for President Obama) needs 11 more Democrats to hold the line--and as all now, we are "twitter freaks" here @ #Outsiders.

This is ever so a developing story...and fun to comment on.....

Notations On Our World (Special Edition): The Death of Julian Bond

Julian Bond has passed away.   He was a co-founder of the Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee and the Southern Poverty Law Center and served as a long-time Board Chairman of the NAACP.    This image depicts him as he was barred from taking the oath of Office in the Georgia House in 1966 after he endorsed a statement on opposition to the war in Vietnam by the head of Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee, John Lewis (Now a Congressman).     

Tributes have been coming in fast and furious over the "Social Grid" and our Founder shared this over his personal twitter feed earlier:

May the soul of this noble soul #JulianBond RIP....@POTUS spoke for all Americans this day..... https://t.co/NVzDTzOwTz

— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) August 16, 2015

He made a difference and we here at #Outsiders salute him and pray that his soul RIP.

Notations On Our World (weekend edition): A potential earthquake across the "Pond"

The United Kingdom's "official opposition" in Parliament, the Labor Party, is having a leadership election and Jeremy Corbyn has counfounded all the sceptics and has a real shot at winning.   He's from the so-called "left wing" of the party which prompted an intervention from the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair that it faces annihilation.    This is as Mr. Corbyn has said taht Mr. Blair may be facing a trial over the Iraq War as Mr Blair has made quite a lucrative career in private life.      

Our time found it quite onpointe as The Guardian , was ever so direct in explaninng why no one seems to be listening to Mr. Blair:



The Iraq War looms large as Labor tries a new path.

It is a developing story--but a fascinating one.