Actually it was called the Iran-Contra Affair.

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[–] 1 point 1 month ago (1 child)

You seem to be under the impression that people living in brutal conditions have the same options as people living in good conditions, or will make the same choices as people living in good conditions. This has been shown to be false so many times there's no point in belaboring it. This is why we should expect better behavior from nations who can afford to make those better choices at some cost to themselves, such as the subject of the OP.

I will say in terms you might understand, because you really seem to be hung up on this. I don't approve of terrorist actions. Place the supporter of terrorist actions of your choice in that statement, I will agree. Iran, Palestine, Hamas, Sinn Fein, America, random homophobes in a city near you. I am aware that desperate people will engage in desperate measures - it's a good reason to not back people into corners. See Palestine.

I notice you haven't acknowledged America's hand in supporting terrorism. Now's your chance to make your feelings about that plain.

You've said it enough times now, it's pretty clear that you see authoritarianism as an acceptable fig leaf to engage in hostile actions against other nations, not to remove the authoritarians or to help the oppressed, but to advance your nation's interests. I don't expect motivations to be pure, but I certainly don't support aggression towards other nations where the primary factor is the benefit of the agreeing nation. See Russia in Ukraine, and America in Iran.

I understand terrible things happen in war, which is why little things like the financial improvement of your nation isnt a reasonable justification in my opinion. There is also another level in accepting that accidents will happen and civilians will get killed and actively targeting civilians, particularly known non-combatabts such as children, reporters, and aid workers. I'm a little surprised that you would just wave that away as things that happen.

It's hard to process that if you felt like they were the freedom fighters that represent oppressed people (which you clearly do because you don't distinguish between Hamas and Palestinians), but these are the facts.

No, in spite of your repeated statements saying I can't seem to tell the difference between Palestinians and Hamas, I do recognize the difference, just like I do between Irish ans Sinn Fein. Israel, on the other hand, seems to assume they're all exactly the same, right down to toddlers.

You should think of the results of people's actions a little more and worry about the bullshit ideological rationalizations for those actions a little less.

I'd say you're doing the same, just on a different side.

Iran executes protesters by the tens of thousands. Hamas tortures people to death if they dare speak out against them. The Houthis literally crucify people for the crime of being gay. So I ask you, how many tens of thousands more people have to die by the hands of these psychopaths before you'll stop making up bullshit ideological arguments to excuse their actions?

So, do you think America's actions in Iran are going to change that? I certainly don't. So rather than talking about my bullshit ideological arguments to kill less people, how about we talk about your bullshit ideological arguments to kill more?

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  • [–] 0 points 1 month ago

    You seem to be under the impression that people living in brutal conditions have the same options as people living in good conditions, or will make the same choices as people living in good conditions.

    You're thinking of these people as animals incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.

    Not only is this a racist rationalization, it's a complete lie. Iran is a nation state with a lot of oil. The leadership of Iran are very wealthy people. The leadership of Hamas were also very wealthy. Whoever is willing to fire rockets at Israel will also become very wealthy because Iran will pay them a lot of money. That's how Iran's "Axis of Resistance" works. Terrorists get paid if they serve the interests of the IRGC by killing people. There can't be any real peace because even if a group did achieve their goals and made peace, Iran would divert the money to some other terrorist group.

    Sure maybe the rank and file are poor and desperate, but they are manipulated by some very wealthy people. How is situation any different from some poor person in Kentucky signing up for the military because there's no other job available to them and having to follow the orders of a corrupt billionaire? Do you think that person isn't poor and desperate? What about someone doing compulsory service in the IDF? First they don't have much of a choice, and second there's people living a few miles away that will murder every person in their family if they have a chance. Are these people not desperate?

    So, do you think America’s actions in Iran are going to change that?

    There's a probability. Iran controls the media in their country so there's no way to assess how diminished they've become. The campaign against Iran has been sloppy as fuck because Trump and Netanyahu are incompetent. But there's no doubt that Iran's actions have cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. The world would be a much better place if the IRGC were permanently removed from power. The goal is good, but the execution has been terrible.

    So rather than talking about my bullshit ideological arguments to kill less people, how about we talk about your bullshit ideological arguments to kill more?

    The IRGC is responsible for atrocities in the Syrian civil war, complicit in the October 7 attacks which resulted in the Gaza war and has executed tens of thousands of people in their own country (the full number is unknown).

    I note that you still haven't answered my question, so I'll ask again:

    So I ask you, how many tens of thousands more people have to die by the hands of these psychopaths before you’ll stop making up bullshit ideological arguments to excuse their actions?

    It's actually probably hundreds of thousands of people if you consider what the IRGC / Hezbollah was complicit in doing in Syria. But maybe you just don't value the lives of the people Iran has killed in your "ideology"? It seems your "ideology" is all about being very selective in your empathy.

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