Don't befriend an elephant keeper.....

It seems to me that many in Iran have been convinced that the best way forward is to go for an all out free market economy. Some of the stories that have been told were truly “stories”, but, the important point is that they have been believed. That is fine with me, despite the fact that I do not share this view. What is disturbing, however, is the confusion that exists on the implementation of these policies. It seems to me that while policy makers have been convinced that this is the way forward, but, at the same time, they do not like some of its outcomes. Not long ago, there was a lot of debate on labour contract in Iran, and some claimed- not fully justified though- that labour laws in Iran were not “firm friendly” and gave workers “too many rights”! I must admit that I have never checked myself to see if that was true. But what I have noticed recently is a prominent clergy in Mashhad declared “temporary labour contracts” to be “illegal in Islam”. Again, I must make my position clear, that I can not confirm if that is the case. What I do know however, is the current confused situation in Iran has the faults of all systems and the benefits of none. To put it differently, my Dear Sirs: please make up your mind. If you want to go for a free market economy, at least, do it properly and don’t zigzag. On the other hand, if you really do not like these outcomes, then, devise appropriate policies to go with your expectations. We have a saying in Iran, which is appropriate here. Either don’t befriend an elephant keeper, or, if you do, build a house that could accommodate an elephant!