It is happening again in Iran. Words like “reformers,” “democracy,” and “elections” are being thrown around by the country’s Islamist dictators. Is it any different this time around?

Remember that back in 2004, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami utterly and completely failed to be the "reformer" that so many had thought him to be. At that time he publicly urged his own people to participate in the fraudulent parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on February 20, 2004.

Khatami helped the Islamists drive a final nail into the heart of the country’s pretend democratic process. Yes, I said "pretend democracy." The religious elite have held an absolute veto over all governmental decisions since the "reform" process began. By disqualifying 2,530 of the 8,157 candidates originally on the ballot for the February 20th, 2004 parliamentary elections, the Islamists engineered a coup de tat. All the candidates disqualified were “moderates/reformists,” and included 80 already-sitting members of the Iranian parliament (“Majlis”). The terror-masters effectively cleansed Iranian government of anyone they disapproved of. About 550 candidates -- whom the Islamists had approved -- voluntarily withdrew from the elections, thus making the poll even more illegitimate. The Iranian people were left with a ballot containing one choice: vote for the thugs or vote for no one.

When Khatami became Iran's president 7 years ago, he made big promises for democratic reforms. But things have only gone downhill since he took power. The Islamist thugs who hold real power in Iran have derailed all attempts at political progress. Iranians have vented their frustrations over and over again at the lack of reform, but all they have gotten in return is violence -- and the further entrenchment of the religious, dictatorial establishment. Khatami has done nothing to truly oppose the Islamists. His support last year for elections was proof positive of his duplicity and complicity in keeping the Iranian people prisoners in their own homeland. Why would it be different this time?

Khatami cannot run for a third term, but so what? As long as the top thug, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (“fearless leader” from Orwell’s 1984?), and the Council of Guardians have veto power over the presidency and parliament, it does not matter who wins in this year’s presidential “elections.”

According to the BBC,

Iran's Guardian Council has reinstated two leading reformists to the race for the presidency, state media says.

Mostafa Moin and Mohsen Mehr Alizadeh had been barred from standing in the 17 June election along with all but six of more than 1,000 candidates.

But supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered the council to change its mind.

Reformists had called for a boycott of the poll after the council's original decision, which they said was illegal.

So fearless leader has reinstated a couple of candidates – big deal. This election was fixed from the beginning. Once again I must quote Pete Townsend of The Who:

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss