Let’s remember the Iranian government not only seeks to impose its own repressive religious standards on the people. It also has mismanaged the economy, creating bitterness even among people who might not otherwise care about politics.

There is no doubt Iran has a young and increasingly sophisticated population, aware of the freedom that exists in other parts of the world. Arrests and executions may stifle the push for modernization — for a while.

But not forever. An unjust system and a modern and demanding populace cannot coexist. The days of the ayatollahs are numbered in Iran. That number may be a high one for the moment, but the regime has planted the seeds of its own destruction.