At last report, most Americans couldn't find Iran on a map, but it looks like we are about to get another geography lesson. President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and his new national security adviser, John Bolton, are dying to go to war with Iran.
Of course, "dying to go to war" is just a figure of speech; the actual dying would mostly be done by Iranian civilians. Before we start killing Iranians, shouldn't we find out a little more about them? I'd like to introduce you to a few.
Most Americans didn't know much about Iraqis before we started our disastrous war with Iraq, and in hindsight it seems that the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians and thousands of American soldiers, the trillions of dollars spent, and the unforeseen consequences such as the rise of ISIS all might have been avoided if we had been better informed. And a war with Iran would be much, much worse — in lives lost, in treasure wasted and in the destruction caused — not only to Iranians but to Americans.
So, getting to know some Iranians in person might be a very good idea.
People like Atefeh and Mehran.
Atefeh is 23 years old. She speaks fluent English and is studying art and animation. She loves all kinds of music. Her favorite movies include "The Shawshank Redemption," "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Silence of the Lambs."
Mehran, 26, has a degree in mechanical engineering and works as a lifeguard and swimming instructor. His musical tastes range from Beethoven and Schubert to Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd. And his favorite films include "Fight Club," "Kill Bill" and "Lord of the Rings."
You don't have to go all the way to Iran to meet Atefeh and Mehran. Thousands of Iranians have signed up on websites such as Couchsurfing.com, offering to host foreign visitors to their cities, and iTalki.com, looking for conversation partners with whom to practice English. Tehran alone has more than 56,000 registered Couchsurfing hosts. Basic membership on both sites is free, and you don't have to host visitors, sleep on anybody's couch or take language lessons to participate.