NoisyRoom.net yesterday pointed to an article in the Pension and Investments Online about an effort in state legislatures to see funds divested from Iran. Some $18 billion dollars, which is no pocket change. The state bills are the target of fund managers who say they have a “fiduciary responsibility,” to get their clients the most for their money, even if it’s dealing with international companies with ties to Iran. Also beating the divestment drum last week was former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who calls for divestment an interview last week with James Taranto of the OpinionJournal: 

“”Because Iran is in desperate need of new investments for its sagging oil industry. It’s curtailed its oil production by 7%, I think, in each of the last three years. It’s running unemployment to a rate of close to 20%, and Ahmadinejad is continuously being criticized from rivals within the regime and outside the regime for failing to deliver on economic problems.”

Is your plan for retirement Iranian-free? Today would be a good day to check and find out. And if it’s not, perhaps call and tell your fund manager that you’d like a future to retire to, something you may not get if we continue to help prop up Iran.

Simply because of the nature of America these days, the House of Representatives is working on a shield law to protect fund managers who divest from Iran, in case there is a financial cost for doing the right thing and the public comes looking for someone to blame. And while these fund managers are looking to fight these divestment bills in the state legislatures right now, they will be onboard if the people tell them that we truly want a terror-free retirement.

The black hated villains in the spaghetti westerns tell the townsfolk, “Give us your money, and nobody get’s hurt.” But the Iranian regime rides into town saying, “Give us your money, AND get hurt.” After 9/11 we were generally told to get back to business, and for the most part we have.  But part of the great joy of a capitalist society is the right to choose with whom to do business. Did you really work all those years, and accumulate well earned retirement pay, to put money in the hands of the Mullahs? Divestment may come with a financial cost to it, but it’s a cost we can bear. Tell your investment broker that you won’t allow a nuclear armed Iran just “for a few dollars more.”