Live data from Hacker News

Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

npr.org

211–220 of 1001 posts

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#211

I wonder how old the rest of the commentators are. I watched the Shock and Awe campaign. I watched Saddam fall. I remember thinking this is great. Years later, I understand it was a complete folly. Removing Saddam in itself was good but what it did the wider region was not good.

Taking out Saddam allowed the Taliban to get right back to the raping of the Opium farmers wives and children. Not saying I approved of Saddam but I did enjoy the way he had originally curtailed the risk to his Opium revenue.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trump would very much like to be, no denying that, but he isn't there yet. Regardless, dictators deserve to be put into the ground no matter where they are.

[flagged]

My personal view is that most dictators deserve to be stuffed into a suitcase, loaded into a canon, and fired into the side of a climbing wall. I guess that makes me immoral.

That said, for anything aside from a despotic world leader, I'm also against the death penalty.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But in the case of an actual dictator who murdered thousands of protestors it is reasonable, right, just, and civilized. Shed no tears for the deaths of tyrants. They would happily see you and any other threat to their illegitimate power put six feet under.

You did the "our blessed homeland" meme: https://xcancel.com/tomgauld/status/571994690289061888 / https://archive.vn/gAkNA

If Trump became an actual tyrant instead of a wannabe one, I'd shed no tears for him being "removed" either.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Trump would very much like to be, no denying that, but he isn't there yet. Regardless, dictators deserve to be put into the ground no matter where they are.

[flagged]

In cases where it's feasible to do life in prison, I'm fine with that too. But for dictators, that's typically not realistic (Maduro notwithstanding). Better to kill them rather than let them continue killing others.

I actually oppose the death penalty as a punishment for crimes, but for practical rather than principled reasons: I don't want innocent people (and there's always a chance of innocence) to be killed, and it's more expensive than life in prison anyway.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But in the case of an actual dictator who murdered thousands of protestors it is reasonable, right, just, and civilized. Shed no tears for the deaths of tyrants. They would happily see you and any other threat to their illegitimate power put six feet under.

Yes our president has only needlessly murdered two innocent US citizens so far. As he has told us countless times, he would like to be a dictator.

Yes, and if he actually becomes a dictator, I'd shed no tears for him being removed by force.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#216
post #195

The Iranian diaspora around the world is celebrating. Here's the scene in Berlin: https://youtu.be/NSbx_0mtk80?si=MJ_Bfvx8gVd1P1mm They've waited a very long time for this moment!

People celebrating inside Iran too https://x.com/visegrad24/status/2027840034150178952

That's very moving! I can't say many international developments have filled me with optimism the past couple years. I want so badly for this to pan out for Iranians.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's easy to excuse the collateral damage of people you will never meet, just remember that this reasoning has unleashed hell on Earth for countless innocent people, many kids, and it makes you sound like a ghoul. Hope to hell that you or anyone you care about isn't on the receiving end of such sentiments.

I remember that the alternative has also unleashed hell on Earth for countless innocent people. At some point, you have to take the path that offers at least some hope for the future. To turn into something that has lost all hope - there is no fixing that.

How does blowing up schools offer hope for the future?

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's definitely odd if he was just sitting in his compound. That's a very, well, known place for him. Surely Iran has plenty of secure underground bunkers for leadership to retreat to?

Fleeing is seen as dishonorable in many parts of the Arab world. Remember the Israeli lies about how Yahya Sinwar dressed in women's clothes and were trying to cross the border to Egypt? In reality he was out in the field with his men killing Israeli soldiers. He died a brave death and Khamenei will now have died one too.

Lol what are you talking about, Arabs are great at guerilla warfare, and that involves a ton of fleeing.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#219
post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah yes, the poor innocent dictator minding his own business while killing thousands of protestors.

If what matters is the number of people killed, the next two should be Putin and Netanyahu. Yet I have a feeling that will not happen.

Pretty much by definition, dictators do not allow themselves to be removed by the people through peaceful means, which is why it's easy to draw a line there. If someone's a dictator, it's morally okay to kill them. Always.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's easy to excuse the collateral damage of people you will never meet, just remember that this reasoning has unleashed hell on Earth for countless innocent people, many kids, and it makes you sound like a ghoul. Hope to hell that you or anyone you care about isn't on the receiving end of such sentiments.

It's not "easy" but it remains true. We can play the moral-decision game and I'll ask you whether killing one child is justified to save 5,000,000. If you answer "yes" then from that point it's just about agreeing on numbers.

How many schools need to be blown up with children inside for you to say "Hey, maybe this didn't have to happen this way"
Post reply on HN