24th July:

One of the cornerstones of any democracy is the principle of freedom of speech. We take for granted our right to stand outside a parliament or government assembly building with a large placard that says "You Suck" without having to worry about being bashed over the head by the police and whipped off to a place where we will never see daylight and be forced to make cheap kitchen utensils for the rest of our days.

Or at least we did here in the UK until the government banned us from doing so unless we had applied in advance for the appropriate permit.

Because I know that I am likely to be in the mood to demonstrate against some foreign policy atrocity that may happen 4 months from now. Better get my application form in sharpish, eh?

In many ways, however, there is always someone worse off than yourself. In Iran, for example, you don't even get as far as opening your mouth to express some politically subversive opinion - you've already been beaten to within an inch of your life for having the wrong kind of haircut.

Iran's government seems to enjoy telling the West to piss off and mind its own business. "We", they say, "are an ancient cradle of civilisation, and you have no right to tell us how to behave". And it is undoubtedly true that people in the Middle East did enjoy civilised and structured societies at a time when the rest of us were still painting our faces blue and picking fleas off each other. However, is it also true that Western countries do not tend to herd groups of young women on to minibuses, take them to detention centres and then physically abuse them because their coats are just a little bit too short and colourful.

In this sense, Iran is a bit of a paradox. It has an incredibly rich history and vibrant culture. It's film industry is one of the most prolific in the world and its people, by all accounts, are incredibly warm and welcoming. And yet its government seems to delight in sabre-rattling and baiting the West at every opportunity. Which would be understandable if it was playing to a supportive domestic audience. But this doesn't even seem to be the case.

Iran criticises the West for being decadent, arrogant and morally corrupt. The West in turn criticises Iran for its over-zealous suppression of human rights and its inequitable interpretation of Islamic law.

As ever, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.