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Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

1843magazine.com

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Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#91

Post by smortaz »

TomVDB wrote: post #22
MisterTea wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I once went on google maps and looked around Tehran. I found pizza shops and other very familiar things. I sat there with same conclusion: we're not that different. just trained to hate each other because a bunch of megalomaniacs want more power and money.

There was this British guy who drove from Beijing back home on a Honda C90 moped. His video about Iran is heartwarming. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LEgowbzSc

Hah. Came to post the same video :). He didn’t actually visit a lot of the “beautiful” parts of the country, but it does paint a good picture of the peoples’ attitudes (even in really harsh economic times under a brutal regime)

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#92

Post by duxup »

droithomme wrote: post #85
duxup wrote: post #4

The internal political wonkiness where the Guard makes their own policy and other departments don't want to play along is amusing.

> don't want to play along As a detainee/possible hostage, he's in the category of a guest who is not free to leave, and not a prisoner who has been convicted of a crime. It's very important in Persian culture to treat guests well, better than your own family members if possible. What he describes, being put in a decent hotel, having his expenses covered, and being free to explore the city in a sort of mandatory exte…

I don't think the start of it fits that description, let alone the danger hovering over it all considering the outcomes of other folks who were detained.

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#93

Post by ska »

lostlogin wrote: post #80
armenarmen wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, I get Christmas cards from my cousins in Tehran. They can eat pork, make and drink wine with no real issue. Iran has (for abrahamic faiths at least) probably the best religious tolerance in the region

I’m surprised at this. Have you spent time in Israel? I haven’t been to either but would have expected Israel to be better again. Thanks for the comment.

  I haven’t been to either but would have expected Israel to be better again.
I'm curious, why would you expect that having no experience of either?

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#94

Post by jessaustin »

chris11 wrote: post #82
gfodor wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't think of any examples where people in the US have erroneously conflated the Iranian public and government in recent times. That seems like a strawman. The green revolution a few years ago had widespread support in the US. The recent pushback against the regime in the days following the recent soleimani killing should have led to more support from the public in the US. Sadly, since doing so would 'align' them…

I disagree. I haven't heard anyone in the US say Soleimani was a good person. The liberal viewpoint is that killing him was an act of war, and there's no interest in war with Iran. Other complaints include a general belief that the killing made us less safe. Nobody knew what the short-term impact would be, and the long term impact is unknown. Also, increased tensions with Iran before the killing were directly caused…

The simplest explanation is that Qasem Soleimani beat ISIS. ISIS was a long-term project of the military-industrial complex, by which they looted a great deal of money from USA taxpayers. Had ISIS existed as a "credible threat" for a longer time, they could have looted more. So, MIC hated Soleimani. Nearly everyone in Washington is on MIC payroll, so very few of them could voice an authentic criticism of the assassination.

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#95

Post by [deleted] »

maverick2007 wrote: post #9

All these politics and political games are such a shame. The Tehran that the author describes seems like a really vibrant city that I'd really like to visit and experience. But I never will for fear or something like this happening, becoming some tiny pawn in a much bigger game. And I wish that Iranians could come to the US and visit NYC or SF and see our culture. Then we might realize that the other side is somethin…

[deleted]

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#96

Post by ljm »

maverick2007 wrote: post #9

All these politics and political games are such a shame. The Tehran that the author describes seems like a really vibrant city that I'd really like to visit and experience. But I never will for fear or something like this happening, becoming some tiny pawn in a much bigger game. And I wish that Iranians could come to the US and visit NYC or SF and see our culture. Then we might realize that the other side is somethin…

I really recommend watching Persepolis.

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#97

Post by p49k »

Mirioron wrote: post #77
0x0 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tell that again to someone who lived under German occupation in ww2?

I have. I am from one of those countries. After WW2 we were occupied by the Soviets as well. My grandfather spent a significant chunk of his life in gulags. You can't lay all of the blame of a country on the government alone, because the government doesn't work without the people. It doesn't matter whether you're dealing with a democracy or autocracy. Bombs don't build themselves. Armies don't feed themselves. Deport…

You’re ignoring that a small minority of people can effectively repress the majority. The majority of Persians have been resisting as best they can for decades. You’re right that it’s not just the government (every repressive regime has some level of public support) but it’s not true that everyone else is providing tacit approval.

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#98

Post by jessaustin »

derp_dee_derp wrote: post #65
AWildC182 wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Saying "what about that [falsely equivalent] thing over there, now read [HN meme book of the month]" isn't exactly a sound argument...

pointing out hypocrisy is not a false equivalency, but nice try. also, you calling a foundational work in propaganda theory a meme book isnt exactly a sound counter argument, either. Here, educate yourself: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manufacturing_Consent

Sometimes it seems that some people think it's "progressive" to criticize Chomsky...

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#99

Post by rtkwe »

Mirioron wrote: post #67
complianceowl wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I really want to visit Iran, as well. As an American, I love the look on people's faces when I tell them that. I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. Peter Santenello opened my eyes to Iran. I couldn't believe how pro-America so many Iranians are; the culture seems so rich, and the people so pleasan…

> I also think it's important to distinguish between the government and the people. It can be easy to see them as one and the same, but that would be a mistake. To a degree they are one and the same though. The government still requires the consent of the governed.

In a 'if you really hated it why haven't you overthrown it/left?' way? Authoritarian regimes live and die by their ability to coerce/fabricate consent and quash discontent. Until something significantly weakens the government's ability to quash rebellion auth regimes usually stand.

The looseness of the restrictions could kind of help because it gives people an outlet so it's not so bad they're ready to take up arms but the regime still has a ready cudgel to charge people with.

Re: Trapped in Iran: My Summer as a Guest of the Revolutionary Guards

#100

Post by edanm »

lostlogin wrote: post #80
armenarmen wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, I get Christmas cards from my cousins in Tehran. They can eat pork, make and drink wine with no real issue. Iran has (for abrahamic faiths at least) probably the best religious tolerance in the region

I’m surprised at this. Have you spent time in Israel? I haven’t been to either but would have expected Israel to be better again. Thanks for the comment.

Never been to Iran, but I live in Israel. Israel has its problems, but it is for the most part a western-style liberal democracy, religious tolerance very much included. There are plenty of religious minorities here, including Muslisms, Christians, and lots of other faiths, and they are not discriminated against for the most part.

(Note: I'm obviously leaving aside the issue of the Palestinians, which is not exactly about religion but about ethnicity/nationality/sovereignty.)

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