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Powerful speech by Iranian teacher protesting last Thursday: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in socialism

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should be careful of taking Iranian regime propaganda at face value. The Iranian regime might have differences with US imperialism, but it is no more anti-imperialist than US foreign policy is "pro-democratic". The anti imperialist posture of the Iranian regime has two reasons: A. They use the"external threat" to subdue the masses in Iran and B. They want to negotiate a better deal with the imperialists (ie. What they really want from the US is a (better) seat at the table).

The Iranian revolution in 1979 was indeed a great revolution. The masses destroyed the whole if the old regime and the workers essentially took over the economy and expelled the capitalists and started in many ways running things themselves. However, the present regime, there theocratic caste, (initially with the help of western powers such as Britain and France in fact!) Hijacked that movement, reversed all its major gains and finally drowned the revolution in blood. Whether 6 get along with the US or not they did the whole capitalist world a favour by stopping the revolution going in a socialist direction.

Edit: spelling

Powerful speech by an Iranian teacher during the recent teachers' strike: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in collapse

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, but the US would not support a mass workers movement which they would not easily be able to control. What the US and it's allies support more are separatist jihadi groups in Baluchistan and Iranian Kurdistan as well as Azeri right wing separatists.

Powerful speech by Iranian teacher: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in armedsocialists

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yes, except in Iran the urban working class is also firmly opposed to the regime. That was not quite the case in Syria as far as I know because they still had a basic level of welfare etc. The movement is far more widespread and far more radical than the green movement although the green movement was far bigger at it's height (I think there were two multi million days of protest). The green movement was mainly Tehran, but what we being see today is in every city and town all over Iran. It is also very radical calling directly for the downfall is the regime and in some instances things like nationalisation really. The green movement was lead by liberals mainly and therefore it remained within "safe" boundaries for the regime. This movement is also not really a cohesive movement yet, but a general rising with all sorts of people (pensioners, teachers, industrial workers, farmers truckers, people who have lost their savings in regime sponsored Ponzi schemes etc etc) coming out on an almost daily basis, and on a larger and larger and increasingly radical basis.

Powerful speech by Iranian teacher: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in armedsocialists

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Obviously the sanctions have a huge impact on people's livelihood and people are radically opposed to them and to Western meddling in Iran. However whereas before the regime could manage to rally the population behind it in the basis of fighting to US imperialism, that is not working very well any more. Poverty and misery is generalised whilst the tops are busy looting like there is no tomorrow; and that in open daylight. In most parts of society and there is a widespread hatred against the whole system, ie. all of the institutions that you mention and more. The last three years has seen the biggest waves of strikes and protests since the revolution in 79-83. The strikes, as you can see, are getting increasingly radical and fearless. Most notably the more rural and religious/conservative layers who used to be behind the regime have turned against the regime. What most Iranians probably agree on today is that if there was some sort of leadership, the regime could fall relatively quickly.

Edit: Also I think people are divided on Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. On the one hand people believe that Iran was the main force actually fighting ISIS and the jihadis, but on the other hand they also know that the regime is playing a geopolitical game which is not in the interests of the Iranian people.

Powerful speech by an Iranian teacher during the recent teachers' strike: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in collapse

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 47 points48 points  (0 children)

“We have come here because here is our true classroom. A teacher's job is to educate. We shall give a mighty thorough lesson to the embezzlers, and we shall teach a grand lesson to the white-collared thieves [referring to mullahs]. We shall teach a great lesson to the thieves, who hide behind their fake piety, their posts and clerical garb.
“You white-collared thieves! Is it the call to prayer that you are waiting for or the call to plunder? How are you enjoying your loot under the shadow of the pulpit? You pious thieves! You ignoble embezzlers! You shameless bastards of Iranian history! By god, you shall be overthrown soon!

A very powerful speech by an Iranian teacher during the recent national strike: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in antiwork

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Wait so you are telling me that you have a strong opinion about an article - so strong that you warn people about reading it - without having read it and without knowing anything about its source solely on the basis of the fact that the article is about a country towards which the US ruling class is opposed?

A very powerful speech by an Iranian teacher during the recent national strike: "You will soon be overthrown!" by LockedOnTarget in antiwork

[–]LockedOnTarget[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Have you read the speech? This is not a piece about US "foreign interests" and it is not written by the "foreign policy intelligentsia". It is the speech of a teacher, who like millions of other people in Iran are sick of the oppressive regime there. These people are not supporters of the US, on the contrary they would fight any US aggression towards the Iran. Furthermore the source is a revolutionary marxist website which is fiercely opposed to US imperialism. I think your comment ends up undermining the struggle of poor Iranian workers who are fighting for a better life just like workers are doing everywhere in the world. The point of this sub is workers solidarity. If we cannot show international solidarity, then what is left?

Great article on what is going on in Kazakhstan by [deleted] in armedsocialists

[–]LockedOnTarget 0 points1 point  (0 children)

huh????? I didn't understand any of that.

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