Earlier quoted context omitted.
You think waging war is the way to bring democracy to Iran? Iran is a country next to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. It's an enemy to _both_ Saudi Arabia and Israel. And you think destabilizing it will be followed by a democratic government and not a rush of ISIS-Taliban-Al-whatever? Iran is made of dozens of different ethnicities. What if it became a Libyia and different regions started a civil war? This is sickeni…
>And you think destabilizing it will be followed by a democratic government and not a rush of ISIS-Taliban-Al-whatever? From what the media sources I follow has told me about the Iranian people, they are all fairly educated and the country has an established scholarly system that enables most citizens to achieve greater education. As I saw further down in the thread that you are actually an Iranian yourself, please c…
Iran is a big country with very big divisions. Younger people and middle class are educated and relatively secular but the older generations and specially rural areas can be very backwards.
> In my view, destabilizing the regime provides some path to democracy, while keeping it in place provides no path to democracy.
It could potentially lead to democracy. But it could lead to far far worse outcomes as well. In Iran's case, the worse outcomes are more likely because:
1. Geographically, it's literally in-between Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and therefore ISIS, Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
2. Thanks to Islamic Republic, it has big enemies, including but not limited to USA, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
3. It has vast natural resources (Oil, Gas) and attracts foreign interests.
4. Revolutions are _rarely_ constructive. Read George Orwell's Animal Farm. When I first I read, I though, how could this man write the book of Islamic Republic so many decades earlier? But it turns out almost all revolutions have a similar trajectory: They go to shit.
> As I said before, I don't believe there is any "responsible" way to perform regime change.
> As an Iranian yourself, do you really think it was ever possible that the hardliners would voluntarily step down themselves? I agree that JCPOA should have been upheld, but I frankly don't know enough to say if it would have set Iran on a path to democracy.
Of course no hardliner is ever going to step down. However, by allowing reformers and moderate forces to make progress, we give them more power.
It won't be quick at all. Takes decades and generations. But to me it seems the only real and viable path.
> I have not yet made enough money to pay federal taxes, so my hands are clean for at least the next few months. I do understand your point though.
Don't beat yourself to it. Even if you were a taxpayer I wouldn't ever think your hands are not clean. I'm an American taxpayer myself. I live in the states. I don't think anyone who paid tax to the U.S. has blood on their hands or whatever.
All I'm saying is, when talking about war, or supporting it, let's make sure we have a really good understanding of the subject matter. Otherwise we could be supporting an unjust war.
Sorry again about the personal attack. Harsh times.