It's a good thing for Iran that societies like Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany preceded them in history. Otherwise, they wouldn't have any examples of how to treat political prisoners.The "confession" has become the preferred way for totalitarian societies to convince the mass of people who don't know any better due to tight control of state media, that foreigners were behind civil unrest and that there's nothing wrong with their government. It was the favored tactic of the Soviets who routinely tortured prisoners to extract "confessions" that they were working for the CIA or other western intelligence.Now Iran has brought the tactic up to date and is accusing reform leaders of trying to overthrow the government. Michael Slackman writing in the New York Times: The government has made it a practice to publicize confessions from political prisoners held without charge or legal representation, often subjected to pressure tactics like sleep deprivation, solitary...(Read Full Post)