Today, I would like to introduce you all to a new blogging friend, Quentin Choy, who has recently started the blog WeTheCommoners.  His blog, per his ‘About’ page …

“ … Aims to create a place where a multitude of political and non-political ideas are shared and challenged.

WeTheCommoners comes from the phrase “We the People,” found in the Constitution. The word commoner is used instead of people because a clear divide has been established between ordinary, working-class Americans and those who are meant to represent them in Washington. Many in Washington view normal people like you and I as “commoners,” or as people who come second to political parties, lobbyists, and campaigns.

In a polarized America, many are afraid to discuss things that are even slightly political, and WeTheCommoners hopes to change that. With blog posts from ordinary people with a wide range of political beliefs, your personal beliefs will be challenged. Bloggers on WeTheCommoners are upfront about their opinions and political stances and come from all walks of life.

I hope this blog inspires you to share your political opinions, normalize having political conversations, and maybe even become actively involved in the political world!”

I don’t often promote new blogs, but when I see a blogger’s work as exceptional, beyond the pale, then I like to do my small part to help them grow their blog.  I think Quentin’s blog is worth that effort.  He first caught my eye when he commented on my post about Jeff Bezos’ space excursion and how much money was simply burned up while people go hungry every day in this country.  Curiosity piqued, I paid a visit to Quentin’s blog, liked what I saw, and I want to help him if I can.  I well remember my early blogging days when, after a year, I had 30 followers and thought I was in the big time!

Quentin’s latest post is one that I think is well worth reading … he traces the recent … last 70 years or so … history of the relationship between the U.S. and Iran.  He reminds us of some things we may have forgotten, and answers the question:  How did we get where we are today?

Sometimes it’s easy to think that the country we live in is the entire world.  Oh sure, we all know there are other countries out there, and that our government, no matter what country you live in, interacts with the governments of all these other countries, but … we live in the moment.  And the moment, for many of us, perhaps most of us, is what’s happening outside our back door.  Here in the U.S., it is the rampant toll of the coronavirus pandemic with all its variants, having taken more than 625,000 lives thus far.  It is far right radical politicians turning our government into a three-ring circus.  It is the threat of one of our political parties shredding our Constitution and turning this nation into an autocracy worthy of third-world status.

But … the internal problems can become somewhat less relevant in a heartbeat if a global threat should occur.  I once worked for a professor of International Relations and did some of the research for his academic paper about how some nations use an external threat, real or designed, to ease bring about internal cohesion.  The examples are many.  Think on that one for a minute, my friends.

I hope you’ll take a look at Quentin’s blog, give him a word of encouragement, and stay tuned for more!  A brief sampling of his latest post …

How We Got Here: An Illustrated Timeline of U.S.-Iranian Relations

By Quentin Choy

I remember being afraid that an actual hot war would take place between the United States and Iran a few years ago. Being at the prime age for the military draft, I was greatly concerned. I wrote to my Congressman Ed Case, trying to figure out what Congress was doing to get the situation under control.

I clearly remember thinking to myself, how did we get to this point? In this post, we’ll explore a timeline of events that deteriorated the U.S.-Iran relationship to a breaking point.

1953: The C.I.A. launches a coup in Iran, overthrowing democratically elected PM Mohammad Mosaddegh following plans to nationalize Iranian oil. The Shah takes power and is friendlier to the West.

To see the rest of this timeline, please visit Quentin’s post at WeTheCommoners