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An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

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Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#111

Post by calcifer »

cwperkins wrote: post #71

This is a touchy subject because it gets into the realm of the people are not the regime. Its terrible that everyone gets wrapped up in international conflicts, but I always have to ask what is an alternative plan? In the case with China, no amount of diplomacy would have worked to get them to renegotiate on trade. I'm not sure about other posters on HN, but I know I personally am strongly for stopping nuclear prolif…

> I personally am strongly for stopping nuclear proliferation around the world

> I want to see India and Pakistan give up their weapons

Since you are so strongly against nuclear weapons, wouldn't you agree the US should lead by example instead of "do as I say, not as I do" (which is the current policy) and start by giving up its own nukes?

Be the change you want to see in the world and all that.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#112

Post by espeed »

h0l0cube wrote: post #108
espeed wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless what you think of the tactics, the sanctions are an economic vise -- a negotiating tactic to leverage a position -- it has nothing to do with race.

I think you're getting caught up in semantics here. If you want to tie this back to the 'actual racism' you're inferring, the prejudice of the US polity towards the Iran people is what enables this policy to be enacted without any serious counter of moral concern from the populous. This actual racism is what permits the foreign policy, that ruins the lives of innocent people in far off countries. Further to that, if…

You're missing the point. The situation is much more nuanced than that.

The Iranian people are not the target, the West wants to see their potential released.

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20303107

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#113

Post by q3k »

chaosite wrote: post #37
mschuster91 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No it's not, Americans have had difficulties getting banking in Germany because banks fear having US customers exposes them to liabilities. It's all a huge pile of steaming manure, especially that the US considers companies in the US liable for things that their holding or child companies do in other countries - even if the behavior is fully legal in the place where it happens. And banks and other corporations with e…

That's because having US citizens as customers requires them to file tax information for those customers with the US government, and the German banks don't want the overhead.

And that's because for some unknown reason the US is one of the few countries that tax based on citizenship, and not residence [1]. It's absurd. Even resigning your citizenship is taxed [2].

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_taxation#Citizen...

[2] - https://nomadcapitalist.com/2018/06/16/tax-consequences-of-r...

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#114

Post by liuw »

jankotek wrote: post #50
rbrtdrmpc- wrote: post #13

Please to all the posters, stick your head out of your butt for a sec, this Iran thing is not something related to just some poor dev unable to publish on their store, it is a world wide dumb reaction all started from the USA foreign agenda. I'll give you an example to highlight how f'd up is the situation, in Italy, country with a quite respectful relation with Iran, banks started kicking out clients (with a one mon…

It is targeting everyone. As an European I would love to visit Iran. Amazing country, some friends there, direct flights... But I would lose ESTA and would need to apply for a visa before visiting US.

It's such a shit show.

A few years back, one of my ex-colleagues who needed to travel to US frequently for work was stopped right before boarding a plane because he had a layover in one of the blacklisted countries while on holiday. He didn't even know he lost his ESTA.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#115

Post by chupasaurus »

Yizahi wrote: post #65
arjmandi wrote: post #2

There are lots of ways to provide free access to information to everyone. How do you expect other people to grow without giving them enough information to understand? Peace depends on the freedom

Russia has semi-free access to information and majority of Russians applaud the wars that their governments wage against their neighbors.

> Russia has semi-free access to information

The only major resources which have permanent ban I know of are PornHub and LinkedIn (not including the sites which were blocked during the Hunt for Telegram, 95% of IPs have been removed after the body which operates the blacklist admitted their fail).

> majority of Russians applaud the wars

If you got the data from official Russian survey agencies or government, you can divide it by 0 twice. And don't forget that more than half of the population were born in USSR, a third part had been educated in soviet schools and a sixth part in current propaganda-driven schools (started in 2004) which makes a majority alone.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#116

Post by js8 »

espeed wrote: post #99

The 80 million Iranians are currently held hostage by two entities. First, it is their own government (which is by far not the worse in the world, being in Iran feels more free than one would expect). The Iranian people are not the target -- Persia is a rich ancient civilization that's being repressed -- the West knows this and wants to see the Iranian people's massive creative potential unleashed. Sanctions are desi…

> Sanctions are designed as [..] when the people amplify the pressure beyond the point the government can withstand

Do you have any historic evidence that it ever worked like this?

I don't, and therefore, I think the sanctions are a predatory policy designed to break the country so it could be attacked by the U.S., where the military-industrial complex is getting too horny.

I mean, I could understand sanctions in the style of European sanctions against Russia, which are targeted at oligarchs and very specific in avoiding damage to ordinary Russians. That at least would be understandable.

But Iran sanctions.. no, I think we know the history all too well.

> The Iranian people are not the target

This is just empty words. Action speaks louder.

And even if the sanctions work as you describe in practice:

Vaclav Havel said that it's not a moral obligation of oppressed people to revolt (and risk their life), and therefore, it is immoral to pressure them to do that. (What is the point of fighting for freedom if you don't get to choose whether you want to be fighting or not?) I think I agree with that, and I am certainly glad that my country (Czech Republic) was never a target of severe U.S. sanctions.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#117

Post by luckylion »

Yizahi wrote: post #65
arjmandi wrote: post #2

There are lots of ways to provide free access to information to everyone. How do you expect other people to grow without giving them enough information to understand? Peace depends on the freedom

Russia has semi-free access to information and majority of Russians applaud the wars that their governments wage against their neighbors.

In which country is that fundamentally different? Perception creates reality, short of traveling everywhere, you'll rely on the media for information. "We're being attacked", "we're on a peace keeping mission", "we're helping oppressed people", "We're fighting terrorists" are messages to get a population to support a war, and you will find a war time press in pretty much any country.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#118

Post by jonathanstrange »

espeed wrote: post #99

The 80 million Iranians are currently held hostage by two entities. First, it is their own government (which is by far not the worse in the world, being in Iran feels more free than one would expect). The Iranian people are not the target -- Persia is a rich ancient civilization that's being repressed -- the West knows this and wants to see the Iranian people's massive creative potential unleashed. Sanctions are desi…

This sounds like a parody.

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#119

Post by yyyk »

rbrtdrmpc- wrote: post #13

Please to all the posters, stick your head out of your butt for a sec, this Iran thing is not something related to just some poor dev unable to publish on their store, it is a world wide dumb reaction all started from the USA foreign agenda. I'll give you an example to highlight how f'd up is the situation, in Italy, country with a quite respectful relation with Iran, banks started kicking out clients (with a one mon…

"with dual italian/iranian citizenship due to the ius sanguinis (iranian mother, italian father)"

How did she even get Iranian citizenship? Iranian law does not provide citizenship to children of Iranian mothers with foreign fathers even if they are born in Iran, and the Guardian Council has so far vetoed all attempts to change it[0].

[0] https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2019/05/iran-nati...

Re: An Open Letter to Google and Apple: Stop Hindering Iranian Entrepreneurs

#120

Post by mehdix »

espeed wrote: post #99

The 80 million Iranians are currently held hostage by two entities. First, it is their own government (which is by far not the worse in the world, being in Iran feels more free than one would expect). The Iranian people are not the target -- Persia is a rich ancient civilization that's being repressed -- the West knows this and wants to see the Iranian people's massive creative potential unleashed. Sanctions are desi…

Crushing a nation under brutal sanctions isn't a legitimate tool to move one's agenda forward.
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