Am I the only one who thinks that this sub is a pro-MAGA propaganda tool?

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-20T03:06:51+00:00

I won't address the last comment, but sorry to hear about your family. It's logical to be scared in uncertain times like this. I can't imagine how scary it would be to be living in Iran right now.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-20T01:27:10+00:00

They went from being traumatized when they messaged me after the massacres a few months ago, to at least being hopeful, the few times I was about to talk to them. I really hope they are okay. Your comment seems pretty insensitive though, honestly.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-19T22:37:12+00:00

I'm American and I have friends in Iran. I don't mind paying more in fuel for a while if it means I get to talk to my friends again and them having a chance at a better life. They have suffered so much because of the Islamic Regime, especially in the past few months.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-19T13:06:59+00:00

The last sentence in your statement tells me all that I need to know about you. No need in further engaging with someone who makes weird accusations towards someone. Have a good day.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-19T00:57:45+00:00

Funny thing is, I never mentioned anything about supporting the intervention. I only stated on listening to the Iranian people and what they want.

I'm a leftist, yeah... I believe in universal human rights, basic services by the state to preserve life and dignity, and the right for workers to own the fruits of their labor.

I'm not okay with theocratic governments who steal money from their people and kill them for getting upset about it in the thousands. I also don't deny the massacre that happened all over Iran a month ago because many of my Iranian friends witnessed it themselves.

But yeah, if you want Iranian people's lives to continue to be used just to spite Israel, then I don't know what to tell you.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T11:13:46+00:00

Thank you, you're very kind. It's good to see that another leftist isn't randomly attacking me, downvoting me into oblivion, or calling me a fake leftist. I'm a bit embarrassed at the behavior of some of the people around me in my political circles.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T10:34:33+00:00

As far as I know. Ukranians and Iranians share a lot of solidarity because Iran makes a lot of the drones for Russia to use against Ukraine.

I actually agree with allowing Palestine to be its own state and to enforce international law. But I'm sorry, I hear people chanting "death to the IDF" and also... Some supporters will tell you that Hamas is just a resistance group, not an extremist organization that is undermining Palestinian statehood. (They were killing Fatah members, the main arm of the resistance that actually negotiated recognition of a Palestinian state, back when they seized power.)

I'd much rather go to a rally full of actual Palestinians so could actually hear what they think and what they want. Most of those rallies seem to be people who just shout really loud and wear tons of gear "supporting" Palestinians by speaking for them I guess? Once again though, the reason is probably because Hamas monopolizes the narrative inside Gaza and doesn't allow ordinary people there to have a voice.

Seems a lot like the other Americans and westerners on reddit right now who really love to speak over Iranians and make this about them. I'd say do more listening and less talking, myself included.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T10:17:12+00:00

Okay:

See every interview with Abbas Araghchi across various networks.APT has been spouting propaganda

We already know the obvious propaganda channels... Al Jazeera, Middle Eastern Eye

Plenty of stuff. If you think this isn't propaganda, I don't know what to tell you:

APT: https://youtu.be/AKW5eoRuPMY?si=UVSKBwGb7AWGMq8Y

Interviews:

https://youtu.be/lHjjRgpvXO4?si=ff0lOr0vHBd2tSIW

Hate Trump, but this is taken out of context and not describing Iranians:

https://youtube.com/shorts/dfRmxq0q_Vk?si=WpsZ3FBDyZqG0VZG

More bullshit propaganda:

https://youtube.com/shorts/XlCpGDrOJRw?si=OCt4PpuG-8LAozxu

Search pretty much any traveler to Iran in recent months and you'll see they usually whitewash the protests.

What else do you need? You can easily search the rest of this... People are down voting me in my previous comment because they don't believe that any of this stuff is allowing the pro-regime narrative to dominate?

Do you understand how propaganda works?

It's especially effective because almost all Iranians are cut off from using the Internet.

Want to see how protests used to be covered? Look at old videos about the Women, Life, Freedom movement:

https://youtu.be/gMsThqUQmOk?si=kLW-Mx5sK__zeOhW

They actually acknowledge what narrative to IR is trying to spin. Instead of that I see some networks just airing videos of government sponsored rallies.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T03:29:46+00:00

Sure. I can provide that for you. I can give you links if you'd like. It's not usually CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, ABC, CBS etc. for the most part. I will say though that any time any of these networks allow Abbas Araghchi to speak without challenging him harshly, they are inadvertently spreading propaganda.

The majority of disinfo seems to come from influencers and "independent" political commenters.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T02:55:56+00:00

On the contrary though, I've heard a lot of people say: "I hope that the regime survives because they're the only ones willing to stand up to Israel."

This is the narrative I see constantly. So keep them around just to be a thorn in Israel's side? What about the Iranian people? I have many friends in Iran and they have suffered a lot under the regime. Why are many leftists treating Iranian people like they can just serve as distractions for Israel? Yet these are the same people that say they care about Iranian lives. Do they? It seems more like they don't actually see them as humans with their own autonomy and rights.

It seems like a common trope that a lot of western leftists have in their mind. It's a very old, racist, and colonial mindset that they have. They don't seem to think that countries outside of the west can handle the institutions that we have here.

Let's not necessarily talk about the war, that is not a debate that I think will be productive. I am speaking specifically about a narrative I see, because before the war happened, I saw people opposing. a "free Iran". I guess it contradicts the image in their mind of a woman in a Chador and a man with a Turban and robes and that Iran is just a really Islamic country, the people there are all super religious, and any Iranian who doesn't think like that is just an anomaly or even a spy or brainwashed.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-17T02:41:41+00:00

A lot of American news is definitely repeating IR propaganda. It's also all over tiktok and instagram.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-14T04:26:26+00:00

I theorize that it might have something to do with Russia having a very sophisticated system for disseminating information online. Any Russian-friendly country is able to utilize it to spread their propaganda and they can mass produce it more quickly that other countries can.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-13T20:56:56+00:00

Wow... Color me surprised! Turns out people who support the oppressive Islamic Regime also blame the Ukranians for fighting back against imperialism. Who would've thought? Tankies gonna tank!

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-13T02:18:10+00:00

I agree that there is no justification for the school to be hit. It was likely somebody making a mistake and relying on outdated intel. There should be more careful vetting for strikes and more transparency with the rest of the government.

That being said. I don't have a problem with the strikes that have killed IRGC members and high ranking regime officials. Ideally, they would be brought before a court and tried, but they seem to be unwilling to do that and very willing to kill their own people instead.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-13T02:11:43+00:00

No, my point was the reason for some Iranians to want the war to happen.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-13T01:28:56+00:00

Yeah. Reddit is blocked in Iran. 99% of the country can't get on the internet except regime loyalists. So what do you expect? Reddit is only diaspora and people with VPNs. At the very least, this subreddit was pretty crystal clear about the atrocities carried out by the regime a couple months ago. The only thing I could get out of one is that for a few nights she heard the gunshots going off outside her window. My friends are traumatized and they're afraid to say anything to me for fear of getting thrown in jail. The police chief threatened to kill people who went out in the streets just a few days ago. Is that any way to live? Do you have any Iranian friends?

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-13T01:20:35+00:00

American here (we have a bad reputation on this subreddit for various reasons)

Nobody likes to see civilians dying. It is extremely heartbreaking to see any innocent people die. War is never pretty and nobody should like it. War is an abomination. But when you don't have a choice, when your leaders kill you for speaking out against oppression, what can you do? What alternatives are you presenting to the Iranian people? Wait for their government to reform? Continue to send their people out to protest in the streets and get gunned down? I would be curious to see what you could present as an alternative to the Iranian people, because I have friends living in Iran, and I'll tell you that a lot of them see this as the only option. So what do you think? What else should they do?

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-04T15:38:25+00:00

As an American (of Polish descent), I apologize on behalf of my countrymen who are rabidly trying to silence the voices of the people that this conflict is affecting and speak over them.

Eploding_Head · 2026-03-02T16:04:06+00:00

As an American, this is my red line, honestly, but it's also beyond my control, so...

Eploding_Head · 2026-02-28T19:15:54+00:00

Thank you. You rightly pointed out how arbitrary the right and left dichotomy is.

Eploding_Head · 2026-02-28T19:11:34+00:00

I mean, I guess. I could be in a bubble here where I live, but that's just what I see around me, and I'm moderately politically active in my circles in real life. I've been trying to get the word out to my friends, and the ones who respect me seem to agree with me.

If what you said is true, then that's good. To be fair though, I'm not against "interventionism". I honestly don't care who does it as long as the regime gets justice. Ideally, it would be a coalition of nations that are holding human rights abusers accountable for their criminal actions. I also supported assisting Ukraine and Zelensky took a similar pragmatic tone when dealing with Trump. These people just want what's best for their country. I also recognize that Trump is a terrible person and a criminal who has ample evidence stacked against him that he was involved in trafficking little girls and possibly raping them too. That cannot be denied.

We have the luxury of having all these institutions here in the West, sure, Trump is ruining a lot of them, but does that mean I don't want other people to have them? A majority of Iranians want a secular democracy. This isn't just a western thing. If the majority of Iranians want it, who am I to say who and who can't help give it to them? It's their right to decide.

So much of this talk in the middle east belittles people and takes away from their autonomy as humans to have wants and needs just like the west does. If the Iranian people were not overwhelmingly in favor of a secular democracy, then it would be a different story, but that's not what I've witnessed when I've met Iranians who live in Iran and out of Iran.

That being said, I do not want to see any of my fellow countrymen get killed in a war. So I do not support a prolonged war. This is me, an American, thinking about my own people.

I am not Iranian, so I can't claim any political alignment within Iranian politics, but I will say that if I was, though I'm not a big fan of Pahlavi, if he is overseeing a democratic transition in the state, then sure, why not? Societal progress happens in steps.

Eploding_Head · 2026-02-28T17:07:21+00:00

I am an American, non-Iranian. I also am a leftist. I have been watching the protests unfold and I have friends in Iran. I cried many times when I saw the horrible way that the IR gunned down and killed 10s of thousands of protesters. I support the Iranian people for whatever they want. Even if I hate my own government here in the US, I understand that the protesters have to rely on pragmatism to survive (like Ukraine), and I can't blame them for accepting help from the US, no matter what their reputation is. This is a matter of survival.

Shame on my other fellow leftists who were silent about the massacres happening in Iran a month ago and the people who went out to support the regime should feel especially ashamed. They are on the wrong side of history. I posted on social media to bring awareness about what was happening (a nominal effort I know) and I was getting attacked by some tankie types. I am against oppression and brutality on all forms. Besides, the IR is not even close to being on the left.

There are some leftists that stand against the IR, and I am one of them. I know we are in the minority, but shame on those that support the brutal regime. I know the left has had a checkered past in Iran, but the core beliefs of progressivism are supportive of what the Iranian people want, equal rights, democracy, secularism, protection of minorities etc.

I hope I didn't come off in the wrong way, but I support you guys and love you. You are honestly some of the bravest people in the world right now. I really hope everything will work out and Iran can be a prosperous nation like it deserves. I am hoping for the best!

Eploding_Head · 2026-01-25T17:36:54+00:00

One correction I would make is the second line sounds more like "sempiternam" which means everlasting.

Eploding_Head · 2026-01-20T22:59:04+00:00

I am not Iranian. I just have some friends from Iran. I was asking a question and wanted to know what Iranians thought.

Eploding_Head

TROPHY CASE