Charisma and Nuclear power (UPDATED) !!!

Charisma and Nuclear Power

One of the greatest threats to American power is Iranian dissention in the Middle East. Due to its dependence on foreign oil, the United States has imposed itself in the politics of the entire Middle East. One of the only countries that has stood against American imperialism has been Iran. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has the primary characteristics of a ‘charismatic leader,’ according to Weber’s Theory of Social and Economic Organization. This means the power of his personality has given him control over an economically influential country with the means to directly impact the entire world through its control of oil. Thus, the only way to eliminate the threat that Iran poses to American influence in the Middle East is to undercut the appeal of his ‘charismatic leadership,’ which would end Iran’s staunch independence in the region regarding the development of nuclear technology in Iran.

Charismatic leaders have often made a huge impact on the politics of the world: Hitler in Germany, Stalin in the USSR, and Fidel Castro in Cuba. These dictators maintain control over the masses through construction of a dominant yet appealing personality. Weber defines charisma as, “a certain quality of an individual personality by virtue of which he is set apart from ordinary men and treated as endowed with supernatural qualities” (Kellerman, pg. 239). This ‘supernatural’ quality is a relational construct that exists when a leader’s visions and hopes are reflected by their followers (Gemeinde). Ahmadinejad uses his charismatic leadership in order to take a stand against American political power in the Middle East. Thus. the only way to displace the threat that Iran represents is to eradicate his popularity and undercut the power his personality has given him.

The roots of his attractiveness lie in his lower-class background, patriotic background and modest lifestyle. He was born in 1956 in the city of Garmsar, Iran. As a son of a blacksmith, but at a young age, his family moved to Tehran, where he has spent most of his adult life. As a student at Tehran University, he attended religious and political meetings before the Islamic revolution; afterwards, he became a founder of the Islamic Association of Students at his university. He also helped fight the Iraqis during the Iran-Iraq war, which encourages his patriotism. He eventually gained even more support through his key involvement in the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran, where right-wing conservatives, who controlled the government, noticed his potential. They helped him get elected as the Mayor of Tehran, where he continued his modest lifestyle by refusing to live in the mayor’s palace. Instead, he chose to stay at his old apartment where he thought was more convenient for him to interact with average Iranians. Thus, the image of a homely, conservative leader was cultivated—giving him the power needed to become elected president in 2005.

Regardless of his popularity amongst the lower class and the conservative sect, his appeal did not reach the young-educated and middle-upper class voters. Thus, in order to further consolidate his power, he used the conflict with the U.S. as a means to create a common enemy. Ahmadinejad exploited cultural divisions in order to gain control of the government: “that an Islamic hard-liner has inspired such pride among even secular, Westernized Iranians says everything about the political climate in Iran today and shows how Ahmadinejad has transformed himself from a lightly regarded ideologue to a national hero” (Moaveni, 2006). It was at this time that Ahmadinejad realized that the United States had full control of the Middle East. Americans influenced leaders in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, Israel and all the Arab nations to the south. The new president realized that it was only a matter of time before the Islamic regime was faced with American imperialism.

This new style of leadership has provided Mr. Ahmadinejad with a unique chance to reduce the population’s hatred toward the conservative government. With the nuclear discussion, he has managed to reduce tensions in Iran. According to an interview done in ski slopes of Tehran, most young Iranians “couldn’t be happier with him.” They believe that he was simply defending their God-given rights. Many, in fact, had changed their minds about him, arguing that “he stood behind his word like a man” by refusing to abandon the country’s nuclear-energy program (Moaveni, pg.78). However his faith is entirely dependant on the result of this “battle” between Iran and the U.S. The consequences of this “battle” can be extremely crucial for him and his conservative regime; this battle can lead to both destruction and/or many more years of power for this conservative government.

Today, he continues to solidify his support; one of the most recent examples of his support for his base was announced on April 16, 2006— were he pledged to give fifty million dollars to the then newly elected Palestinian Authorities who are members of the Hamas “terrorist” group. This came weeks after the United States decided to cut all aid to the Palestinians because they didn’t like the results of the newly democratic elections that were held there for the first time (CNN). Furthermore, it is important to note that Ahmadinejad claims to not only be acting on behalf of his country, but the entire Muslim world. By addressing issues that affect an international group like religion, his charismatic personality (and resulting political/religious power) begins to appeal to an entirely larger group of people. Thus, his power becomes an even bigger threat to the U.S., especially with its mounting antagonism in the Middle East from the War in Iraq and the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Then, the Iranian revolution was not only important for Iran, but also for the entire Muslim world, “the Iranian revolution was the first milestone in forging a strong Islamic militancy” (Hoodbhoy, pg. 873) The Islamic revolution by Shiites in Iran gave hope to the majority of Muslim nations (Sonnies) that they too could defeat the “evil” U.S. by uniting and fighting for Islam. Once again Ahmadinejad is sending the same type of message to the Islamic nations; that by uniting against a common enemy, the U.S., they may find a commonality beyond geopolitical boundaries. These conflicts have divided the world, so by appealing to the marginalized Middle East population that opposes American imperialism; he is extending his power internationally, drawing strength from the growing dissatisfaction with Western control.

He decided to get the upper hand: by bringing up a new issue like weapons of mass destruction, he managed to stand up to the West and while creating a stronger support network for himself at the same time. This issue consolidated his influence among the upper, educated classes in Iran. The majority of Iranians believe that the U.S. is being hypocritical when it comes to this issue—they point out that the only nation in the history of the world to use nuclear weapons against another nation has been the United States, "before, you had people vs. the regime," says a Western diplomat in Tehran, "now you have Iran vs. the West" (Moaveni). It is important to note that his decision to stand up against the West was a calculated one; Ahmadinejad realizes that two of the key members of the United Nations Security Council are China and Russia. These two nations are dependent on Iranian oil and are therefore good allies; at the same time, both of these nations have had their own share of problems with the United States. Ahmadinejad is also well aware that the problems the U.S. is having in Iraq—he knows that the U.S. is focused on the War in Iraq and that chances of them wanting to engage in a battle with Iran is slim to none. Ahmadinejad therefore is fully aware of this “political game theory” and is using it toward his advantage, exploiting cultural divisions and perceptions in order to create a common enemy.

Ahmadinejad’s quest to obtain weapons of mass destruction is perhaps one of the most important issues facing the Islamic Republic of Iran. There is disagreement not only internationally, but domestically, amongst his own people. The number of dissatisfied Iranians has also reached its highest peak. Most Iranians are getting tired of being told what to do by these radical leaders. Ahmadinejad however, has managed to create a new legal-rationalist type of government. According to Mr. Laylaz a political analyst, the new government has a different conservative outlook on the way the country should run. “The radicals don’t see eye to eye with the traditional right. Ahmadinejad’s radicals put revolution first, the traditionalists put Islam first” (Amuzegar, 2006). This change is something that the Iranian population is not used to; previously, Iranians viewed radicals and traditionalists as one. The main difference between the two is that the revolution had more to do with Iran’s political independence and freedom from outside influence than it did with Islamic fundamentalism. Thus, after consolidating his power among the religious conservatives, he has adapted his government in order to appeal to political claims as well.

The roots of the quest for nuclear technology lie in the overthrow of the democratically elected president and the planting of the Shah in the leadership position in the 1950’s. The CIA decided that the Shah’s reign posed no threat to the international community and allowed him to begin developing nuclear technology. Since then, as tensions have grown once again between Iran and the United States, the Iranians have continued to pursue the nuclear program. The United States has accused Iran of developing nuclear technology to build weapons of mass destruction despite their continual refusal. They say that they are only developing a nuclear power structure. Ahmadinejad’s administration has used this political issue to propagate nationalism, which is necessary to maintain his power within Iran. By going against Europe and America, Ahmadinejad has cultivated a sense of nationalism and pride in not only the nuclear program, but his entire government as well. He has essentially absorbed this nuclear stance, then, into his charismatic personality, making it difficult for the Iranian population to recognize the difference between the two.

Ahmadinejad has shown great talent for leadership through the spread of his personality throughout conservative religious and political circles, and then through the creation of a common enemy. By creating a persona that appeals to various social groups, he has solidified his power and his influence throughout the Middle East and the rest of the Muslim world. By cultivating a nuclear program, he has revealed the so-called hypocrisy of the U.S. and appealed to those who are dissatisfied with the political influence the Americans have consolidated. Furthermore, his personality has become appealing to other Islamic countries, many of which have allied themselves against the U.S. Ahmadinejad has become a world-wide phenomenon that could prove to be potentially harmful to America’s political influence in the Middle East. The only way to battle him would be through the destruction of this image that he has instilled in his followers. The bond between them must be destroyed; otherwise the U.S. may be facing another staunch opponent like Chavez, Castro or Stalin.

Bibliography

Amuzegar, Jahangir. “Khatami’s Legacy: Dashed Hopes” The Middle East Journal. Vol.60 pg. 57, Winter 2006.

Cirincione, Joseph. “Controlling Iran’s Nuclear Program” Washington: Vol. 22 pg.8, Spring 2006.

CNN.com. “Iran Pledges $50 Million to Palestinians” Retrieved 17th February, 2006.

< www.CNN.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/16/mideast/index.html>

Hoodbhoy, Pervez. Afghanistan and the Genesis of Global Jihad. Halifax and Pugwash, Quaid-e-Azam University, Canada, 2003 pg 87.

Kellerman, Barbara. Political Leadership (Reader). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh press, 1976.

Moaveni, Azadeh. “How to Love a Hard-liner” New York: Vol. 167, pg. 78, February, 2006.

Official Presidential Home Page. “ Biography of H.E. Dr. Ahmadi Nejad, Honorable President of Islamic Republic of Iran” Retrieved 20, February, 2007

< http://www.president.ir/eng/ >

Weber, Max. The Theory of Social and Economic Organization. Translated A.M. Henderson Parsons. New York: Free Press, 1968.