What do you think about Iran?

[Tigranes]

So today our president (Trump) reimposed sanctions on Iran, which made many people in Israel and right leaning America moderately satisfied. War could have please them more, but we got what we got, life is not perfect. It strikes me though how many ordinary Americans I met with look down on everything Iranian: culture, tradition, people. This stereotype reinforced with a movies like 300 and even country legend Alan Jackson would sing that he is not a real political man, so he would not know the difference between Iraq and Iran.

If you have not seen this fun video, I implore you to educate yourself before you hit the bed this evening and maybe even share your views on current Iran situation and general perception of Iranians. Do you think of them as a historical enemy of Western civilization?

 

[Lexicus]

Iran was obviously the far more civilized party in the Greek wars and is obviously far more civilized than the reactionaries in Israel and the United States who thirst for blood.

 

[stinkubus]

US citizens have been subjected to anti-Iranian propaganda for the entirety of my lifetime. It would be more remarkable if the average American didn't have an unfavorable view of them.

 

[Berzerker]

I had an Iranian friend 30-35 years ago in SoCal introduce me to Iranian food and real hashish. The guy was a good skier too, I wasn't too much into geography but he explained how he learned to ski because Iran was mountainous. I was black and blue the day after my first day of skiing. Anyway, I dont have a problem with Iranians, seemed like good people. But these Iranians came here before the revolution and were somewhat secular, my buddy sure wasn't religious.

 

[Zkribbler]

So, Iran made a nuclear deal with the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, & China.
Iran kept it by curtaining its nuclear development program.
Trump blew a gasket because Iran did not comply with provisions it never agreed to, e.g. long range missiles, international relations.
Therefore Trump chose to violate the agreement by withdrawing from it.
Thump is now bullying foreign companies into going along with his unlawful sanctions.

I have no great love for Iran but currently they are angels when compared to Trump.

 

[Lexicus]

I actually have a lot of love for Iran. My brother is learning Farsi and Persian history is amazing and the most beautiful women I've ever met was from there. It's the reactionaries who control Iran I have a problem with.

 

[rah]

Gee, sounds a lot like our ex allies in Europe. Love the people but hate the reactionaries who control our government.

 

[AmazonQueen]

Iran is far from the worst nation in the middle-east. It hasn't launched an offensive war since the revolution, confines its meddling in other nation's affairs to its own backyard for the most part and is at least semi-democratic .
Candidates have to be approved by the Supreme Council who hold the real power but with the exception of Ahmadinejad's reelection have been generally fair.
That it is interested in better relations with the West is shown in that liberal (by Iranian standards) candidates have been allowed to stand for the Presidency and have won on several ocasions. Its unfortunate that this has usually coincided with the US electing particularly hawkish presidents like Bush and Trump.
It should also be remembered that there are competing powerbases in Iran. The Revolutionary Guard which is more radical is independent of the army and the government. The Basij (a voluntary militia) is also officially subordinate to it.

 

[Lohrenswald]

Iran is a place that exists

 

[Dachs]

Iran is a place that exists

Yeah, I'm...not sure what other response I would give, either, tbh.

 

[Snerk]

I like Iran. Very very interesting people, history and politics, both ancient and modern. I will occasionally be temped to cut them too much slack because of all the propaganda they're targeted by Bibi and pals. But Teheran hosts their fair share of scumbags too. I hope the Iranian people will see more progress.

 

[rah]

That's the biggest problem with our POS POTUS. His saber rattling helps prop up the extremists.

 

[Snerk]

That's the biggest problem with our POS POTUS. His saber rattling helps prop up the extremists.

Eh, what else is new? Wake me up when the leaders of the western world doesn't help with the up propping of extremists.

 

[Lexicus]

Eh, what else is new? Wake me up when the leaders of the western world doesn't help with the up propping of extremists.

Well I mean, for example under Obama the US negotiated the deal with Iran and that overall was poised to weaken the hardliners.

 

[Synobun]

Just how Canadians once asked the world to not think of them as they think of Stephen Harper, and just how Americans today ask the world to not think of them as they think of Donald Trump, it is perhaps best to not think of Iranians as we think of the extremist government they've been saddlebagged with over the previous couple generations.

 

[Snerk]

Well I mean, for example under Obama the US negotiated the deal with Iran and that overall was poised to weaken the hardliners.

Fair play, credit where credit is due. That deal was solid political craftsmanship imo.

 

[Lexicus]

Fair play, credit where credit is due. That deal was solid political craftsmanship imo.

Yeah. There are different ways to prop up extremists. The smarter US Presidents, just to speak to that context. tend to understand that overt displays of bellicosity only strengthens the domestic position of regimes like Iran's or North Korea's. But the actual covert propping up of extremists is done pretty much regardless of who's in power.

I guess the best way to put this is, we try not to prop up extremists unintentionally.

 

[FriendlyFire]

.
Thump is now bullying foreign companies into going along with his unlawful sanctions.

Trumps trade wars are good and easy is going to be give it to Republicans good and hard.
Hes trade threats against the EU might work as EU trade with Iran is so small that reimposing sanctions would be a small price to pay to stop EU US Trade war from escalating.

Dont worry the US economy is due for a recession, its currently being goosed on by the massive tax cuts and dergulation, the US car market has about to go explosive from what i read Ford has over 100 days of unsold car inventory and car loans bubble is about to burst.

 

[TheMeInTeam]

US citizens have been subjected to anti-Iranian propaganda for the entirety of my lifetime. It would be more remarkable if the average American didn't have an unfavorable view of them.

Yeah, it's pretty hard to filter noise. I can buy the explanation that they're perceived hostile and unfavorable to USA given USA has chosen Saudi Arabia/Israel their proxy contestants. I know USA did some pretty ruinous crap involving Iran even going back to cold war times that directly influenced the course of their history, and given our proxy choices they've no reason to like USA now.

Beyond this kind of broad picture I don't know a lot about modern day Iran I can trust, and even what I do know I consider shaky.

 

[EgonSpengler]

I've heard that, like Chinese and Americans, Iranians and Americans get along well even though our governments can't seem to agree on what color the sky is. I don't think I've known any Iranians, myself. I've known a couple of people with Persian ancestry but not actually from Iran; one was from California, one was from India. I've been told that Persian food is one reason to visit Los Angeles (along with Korean and Mexican - all 3 are hard to find around here).