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The article discusses politics in Iran, particularly the election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the work of his adviser Javad Shamaqdari. Shamaqdari's job is to make films promoting Ahmadinejad, whom he met when both men were in college. Ahmadinejad's relationship with his people and his lifestyle are discussed as is relations between Iran and the U.S. since President Barack Obama took office.

The article offers a profile of Iranian economist Mohammad Tabibian. Tabibian advocates liberal economic policies and free-market capitalism working closely with Iranian president Ali Akbar Rafsanjani. The article suggests that president Mahmound Ahmadinejad's populism have contributed to rising unemployment and inflation. Other topics include the American economic embargo, Iran's middle class, and the rural underclass.

The article discusses the turmoil in Iran that is a result of the June 2009 presidential elections in which Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner and Mir-Hossein Moussavi the loser. The arrest of reformers in Iran and the particular case of Saeed Hajjarian, who worked for former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami, is discussed. The political rise of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that led him to become the supreme leader is discussed, particularly the liberal shift that occurred in the country.