Watching the protests in Iran you'd think that the people of that country actually believe they have a choice. On the one hand they have the firebrand Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and on the other the perceived, slightly more moderate, Mir Hossein Mousavi. The reality is though that both candidates were chosen by the mullahs in Iran in advance and the people really had no choice at all.

Now let's look at some reality and cut through the bull that you are seeing on TV - using common sense.

First of all anyone who thinks that the mullahs don't know what they are doing is being misled. Some would believe that they made a mistake in allowing Mousavi on the ticket. I however do not believe this and any street protests going on could be crushed instantly by them. In other words the protests in Iran are being allowed by the mullahs. Which leads to the question why?

The first thing that comes to mind is that they are using them as a distraction. Behind the scenes they are doing something else while the rest of the world is distracted by the protests. The "what" they are doing behind the scenes is beyond me, but you can bet there is a reason.

Ask yourself who this sign is aimed at?

The second thing that comes to mind directly to me is that over the years we have been pushed with the idea by western media that the people of Iran are nice, fun loving people and that it is simply their radical government that is the real tyrannical beast behind all the anti-western rhetoric. I don't fully buy into this. I believe that there are many, many in Iran that hold the same opinions of the west. Anyone who has every had any shred of patriotic feeling cannot deny that they have pride in their country irregardless of some of the ill conceived things it does.

Which leads me to the "why" of the second thing. I believe that the mullahs are allowing the protests in Iran to continue and not cracking down on them because they want the world to see the people of Iran as a peaceful democratic group. They want this because down the road Israel is going to be looking at striking their nuclear development sites. When this occurs they want to have the ammunition to use against Israel - and any supporters they have - about how evil it was that some of these peaceful, democratic people were killed innocently as casualties of the incident.

You really have to analyze this with some common sense and not just believe the stuff being pushed at you. A tyrannical government is not going to allow things like the protests in Iran to continue - when they could crush them on a whim - unless they have ulterior motives.

So after saying all of that you may think that I have something against the people of Iran. No. I just think they are being used as pawns in a larger game. Unfortunately what else are they supposed to do? Not speak out? For them it is a catch 22, but I believe that the ones protesting are in a minority in that country and that the truth is that most in Iran are pretty much behind the theocratic dictatorship currently running their country..

My thought may not be the true reason they are allowing the protests to continue, but I'm thinking they probably are not far from the mark.

What do you think the mullahs may be doing behind the scenes while the world is focused on these faux elections?