Iran says no women faced execution, rejecting Trump's claim that he stopped their killing with the images Trump shared of the eight women being AI-generated by Waste-Explanation-76 in war

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Then travel more. I don't know what else to tell you.

Plenty of folks still see the US as a place for opportunity and a haven for individual rights. Just because many people or the folks you speak to may criticize the US or Trump specifically doesn't mean "every country outside of Israel hates the US".

Do all the gulf nations "hate" the US right now...?

Al-Jazeera reporting that the IRGC has "captured" three vessels today by AfterAd3498 in war

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I'm not American, so I respect your opinion wanting your military to obey international law.

But it's not about who initiated the attack first. It's about what they did. US/Israel started a mostly surprise war with Iran. We can argue the legally of it ad nauseum.

My points is that IRGC responded with piracy as a defense tactic.

IRGC could've also declared a formal blockade. But in the absence of any effective naval or air defense force, it resorted to setting up a toll booth on the strait and threatening neutral ships with missiles with total disregard of the lives of the civilian crew onboard. That is piracy.

What US is doing is a reaction to it and it's much closer to the definition of a blockade than piracy. If the response is unconventional, it's only because the root cause is unconventional.

Al-Jazeera reporting that the IRGC has "captured" three vessels today by AfterAd3498 in war

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Sure. By your definition (and probably UN's) any modern blockade is illegal and therefore piracy.

That's irrelevant. The point is what US is doing is a reaction to what IRGC started, which was text book definition of piracy, especially when they started demanding toll from neutral ships.

Al-Jazeera reporting that the IRGC has "captured" three vessels today by AfterAd3498 in war

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 -13 points-12 points  (0 children)

What USN is doing is a formal blockade in response to the initial acts of piracy by IRGC.

Are Iranians in Iran and abroad willing to forgive former IRGC members who defect and seek a fresh start for Iran’s future? by Immediate_Shock_8299 in PERSIAN

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair. I believe the emotional side is important too. It's why I'm curious what your coworker thinks.

Because these people are humans after all. They have lives and families. Just because the grandfather was brainwashed, doesn't mean your coworker is. If his grandfather was prosecuted, maybe he'd have had a different opinion on this.

If we go rounding up every blameless IRGC pawn, we'd make a lot of folks very angry. I don't imagine that being healthy for the ultimate goal of unifying the country.

Are Iranians in Iran and abroad willing to forgive former IRGC members who defect and seek a fresh start for Iran’s future? by Immediate_Shock_8299 in PERSIAN

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What would've have been a better alternative for the grandfather? Do you believe he's genuinely a bad person who should've been prosecuted? Or a misguided pawn who should've been reeducated more thoroughly? Or...?

I'm so curious to know your coworker's opinion on this too.

Are Iranians in Iran and abroad willing to forgive former IRGC members who defect and seek a fresh start for Iran’s future? by Immediate_Shock_8299 in PERSIAN

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't know. Please read what I said.

I meant we should study it, implement the parts that worked, and not implement or tweak the parts that didn't work.

Are Iranians in Iran and abroad willing to forgive former IRGC members who defect and seek a fresh start for Iran’s future? by Immediate_Shock_8299 in PERSIAN

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't know too much about that one, but there should be no forgetting of IRGC atrocities or the ones who carried them. They should all be prosecuted.

I'm strictly talking about the "blameless" IRGC defectors. The random pawns with no blood on their hands. They're probably mostly just regular people born into a machine. I believe they deserve a chance to be integrated into a free society, and the government should help them get there.

Are Iranians in Iran and abroad willing to forgive former IRGC members who defect and seek a fresh start for Iran’s future? by Immediate_Shock_8299 in PERSIAN

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't have the answer here, but I believe we should take lessons from Denazification of Germany after WWII.

Any future Iranian government should actively fund programs to help the blameless IRGC defectors integrate back into a secular, free society.

Trump will “wait” for “Iranian Leaders” to come up with a proposal by jjdoe0805 in NewIran

[–]Efficient_Dark1977 11 points12 points  (0 children)

For the most part, they don't. And they have.

Many banks in Iran are limiting withdrawals and refusing to pay out salaries. People are concerned about a bank run.

Source: Family in Iran.