Protests in Iran

[Labbug]

I wonder if anything will come of these protests?

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/01/iran-state-tv-12-killed-in-protests-attacks-on-security.html

[Sir Slash]

God be with the brave protesters. Here's hoping by some miracle they succeed in gaining their freedom from these thugs.

[airboy]

Dictatorships often stick around if they have enough troops willing to massacre civilians.  Horrible, but true.

[Gusington]

Iran pretends to be a little progressive. I wonder how long they will continue to do that with protests in the streets?

[Labbug]

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2018/01/01/leaked-meeting-notes-show-how-panicked-iranian-regime-considered-stopping-deadly-protests-god-help-us.html

[Labbug]

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/01/iran-protesters-attack-police-stations-raise-stakes-in-unrest.html

[besilarius]

Most dictators have money salted away, and have kept open a line of communications with a potential country to flee for refuge.
From this point of view, I cannot think of anyplace right now that would be willing to give the ayatollahs asylum.
Maybe Russia, to give them a new chip in their destabilization program for the Mid East?
Certainly not China or North Korea, both being avowedly anti clerical.
Perhaps the Assads in Syria?
(Ayatollah Khomeini got asylum in England from the Shah, but would they flee to the Satanic West?)
But with no place of asylum, they have no place to go.  Like Hitler, they may prefer to burn down their country, rather than admit their faults and corruption.
This, coupled with the professionals in Quds force, could make for a very bloody result.

[airboy]

Most dictators have money salted away, and have kept open a line of communications with a potential country to flee for refuge.
From this point of view, I cannot think of anyplace right now that would be willing to give the ayatollahs asylum.
Maybe Russia, to give them a new chip in their destabilization program for the Mid East?
Certainly not China or North Korea, both being avowedly anti clerical.
Perhaps the Assads in Syria?
(Ayatollah Khomeini got asylum in England from the Shah, but would they flee to the Satanic West?)
But with no place of asylum, they have no place to go.  Like Hitler, they may prefer to burn down their country, rather than admit their faults and corruption.
This, coupled with the professionals in Quds force, could make for a very bloody result.

Agreed.  This is why I think dictators who leave and don't burn down the house should have asylum.  I'm against the International Criminal Court or post-hoc retribution trials for dictators who fade away instead of burning down the house.   

[Jarhead0331]

former National Security Advisor Susan Rice thinks we should all "be quiet" about the protests in Iran...that is the best way to help them. 

[bayonetbrant]

while I don't agree with "all quiet" there is some merit to it - you don't want to give the Iranian leadership any leverage to legitimize a claim that it's all a US plot to overthrow them


the flip side of it is this - if not "all quiet" then what instead?

[Jarhead0331]

^Some action is better than none in my opinion.

The Obama administration sat back and did nothing during the 2009 protests and the budding revolution was thereafter crushed. "Being quiet" was anything but effective in bringing about change and destabilizing the regime. This was probably the hope of BHO, anyway, since it wouldn't do anything to upset the regime and jeopardize the nuclear "deal".

By vocally supporting the protestors, they are encouraged to spread and continue with the belief that they have the backing of the western world.  This outweighs any attempt by the regime to capitalize on western support as being part of some foreign plot. This do-nothing philosophy is just another sign of cowardice and lack of conviction and resolve...that is, it is simply just being afraid of doing the right thing.

[Labbug]

former National Security Advisor Susan Rice thinks we should all "be quiet" about the protests in Iran...that is the best way to help them. 

Maybe, she thinks we should give the government of Iran more billions of dollars.

[MetalDog]

60% of the people in Iran are under 30.  Part of why they are protesting is not enough work to keep them employed enough to live a more robust life.  I certainly don't know how this will turn out, but, old people with money and the military don't give in to young, poor people.

[JasonPratt]

The protests have already gone on a bit longer than I expected. I mean without being tanked.

[Jarhead0331]

The protests have already gone on a bit longer than I expected. I mean without being tanked.

Apparently, these protests are much wider ranging when compared to the nascent protests of 2009. Today, people are rising against the regime in over 80 cities across the country. In 2009, I believe the protests may have been mostly limited to Tehran.

I'm certain, without reservation, that we as a country must support this uprising. I believe Trump's vocal support for the protestors is righteous and well-meaning. I do wish that his comments were more formal and eloquent, but even affirmative support on twitter is preferable to the deafening and shameful silence of Obama in 2009.  I mean think about it, he basically let a movement toward freedom and democracy die in its infancy so that he could later commit treason by entering into a disastrous deal with the Iranian regime that accomplished nothing for US security and has funded the Iranian's proxy wars in Syria and Yemen. The media? Totally silent.