Edit: I updated the title per suggestions.
Edit: I apologize for snapping at people in the comments. I was arguing with someone earlier today and bad habits make preventable mistakes. I’ll do better.
I deliberately didn’t talk about the current events going on in Iran with the justification that a) I’m not from there b) I don’t know enough. But this article takes some concepts I thought I knew and spits them back at me.
I kept quiet about Israel for a long time because I was afraid of being called a bigot, and I will regret that until I die. So why am I suddenly willing to do this again when it comes to Iran? Because some of their interests align with mine? Because I’m afraid of pissing off reactionaries even within leftist spaces and then losing access to them?
What sort of Anarchist, leftist, or being capable of empathy would I be if I remain silent when I know something is wrong.
Third paragraph. First sentence.
Your contention is that these are not economically motivated and that the article is relevant to all instances of protest against the Iranian government?
Edit: I’m not being snarky, I’m asking because I remember these protests in the media and I remember them being framed by the same media outlets as about human rights and womens rights.
no.
Well my contention is that this article is about something besides the current protests, which I believe to be about the collapse in material conditions within Iran.
That’s better.
I don’t disagree. But I also don’t believe they are mutually exclusive. It brings up an interesting question, would a content population riot over this?
Or I guess in a more historical analysis, what nations collapsed due to economic failure, and how do they differ from those which didn’t? What contradictions are at play?
Yeah there’s some weird heat to our conversation here that I don’t think either of us believe we are bringing so it’s probably a tone-over-text issue.
I don’t believe they’re mutually exclusive either, to be clear. But I do think the point of the sanctions regime is precisely to keep the population discontent. In a context where the US is openly weaponizing its economic heft to promote regime change I think there is an economic motivator that we can’t disregard. Further, I think media in my country prefers a rights narrative if it can get one, which maybe unfairly predisposes me to suspect that the economic motivator is predominating.
Granted I’m not in the country or on the ground. It’s fair to contest that all my information is mediated by motivated actors.
I believe you and purpleworm are right. I made an assumption regarding your tone which could have both caused harm and prevented growth. I will do better.
As for your argument, I completely agree. And to assume that the imperial core is unaware of how they might use sympathy for the underclass to their benefit would ignore history.
But I feel that the US has grown arrogant and believes their own hype. This doesn’t seem to match the vibe of past interference. As if it was imposed under the assumption that the sanctions do all the work.
Regardless, like the author describes. Support cannot be sent via drone strike. So perhaps my best praxis for now is to focus on the regime I’m under and look for opportunities.
Hey I appreciate being engaged with sincerely! In my experience it’s always best to check because either you defuse a situation or the other person will very quickly make it clear that the heat is intended.
I agree with your conclusion too, especially since when you remove the bogeyman of US imperialism you are creating new conditions where it’s easier to engage with movements on their own terms, one less factor to muddy the waters.
That said I’m really worried that the US is repositioning assets because it believes it can change the regime by force. After Venezuela I think they’re ready to make big swings, it at least that’s how it feels. So yeah, pretty bleak for our Iranian comrades at the moment. I hope I’m wrong.
You’re right. And frankly I would rather be caught off guard and waste my time treating a troll with sincerity than spend my life snapping at others.
I agree. But without their favorite military base up and running the US will have a hard time accomplishing anything. I also have no idea what China is planning to do. Given they are the next in line to the monopoly on violence, it makes me feel uneasy. But I also don’t believe the Chinese citizenry would tolerate that behavior. (From their state) But a state is a state.
Sabbo was obviously being terse in its first two replies, but I guess perhaps you’re just being diplomatic.
You’re right. I misread the tone and for that I apologize.
Fair enough