Good luck with that. The president of the US and his cronies don’t care about his own people’s freedom, let alone Iranians’ (who frankly speaking, deserve freedom at least as much as the Americans, too many of whom are allowing their liberties to be stolen).
Your beloved President Trump doesn't care one bit about you or any other Iranian. Take a look at Iraq for a second. When America gets rid of the dictator, it becomes the dictator.
But like it or not, he clearly shows more support than past leaders with concrete facts and actions. That along makes a huge difference for the oppressed people. They way events have unfolded in Venezuela and Iran are unseen and they give them a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though they are welcome, your concerns for these oppressed countries are too late. They will not change the way these oppressed citizens see the whole situation.
The threat Trump could pose will never be higher than what they are living right now. That's for sure and you can not dispute it.
No he doesn’t. He breaks the law and grabs assets. Look at how he’s treated Venezuela since he had Maduro kidnapped. He doesn’t want a transition to democracy or for the legitimate winner of the 2024 elections to be anywhere near power in Venezuela. He wants the oil. And guess what Iran has?
I wish there were a reason to think the current administration would support Iran's dissidents. There is none. The evidence available to date is that the administration will harm Iran to protect Israel and will attempt to install a compliant, Trump-friendly dictator kleptocrat. This will not benefit the people of Iran or you dissidents.
Fourth, Trump needs to order his ICE goons to go home. The US has no moral authority to lecture or threaten the ayatollah re cracking down on protesters while ICE is shooting unarmed moms in their cars.
In a disgusting display of arrogance and lawlessness Cheeto declared that the only thing now that can stop him is his own morality!!( https://bit.ly/4r5RS15)
Let that sink in for a moment This demented depraved malignant narcissist just said the quiet dictator speak out loud No laws constrain him or his regime No domestic or international norms can check his decision making No advisors or country’s opinions will make any difference as to what he will do
Yes How he views the world and his own immoral depravity will decide how he will proceed
This is the culmination of years of a psychotic mind’s development that is now so demented that it leverages the free domestic and world order Time to protest like never before and call your Congress people to obstruct him in every way possible It may not take a midterm election to get him impeached
I can't hold myself in anymore and feel I must offer some of my observations during the last revolution of 1979. Please also remember these are my recollections and may not be factually or historically accurate.
I was in Isfahan from September 1976 to New Years day 1979. It was a glorious time to be in Iran with a rising middle class and the beginnings of democracy. The last Shah to put it mildly was not universally loved. The Savak was equal opportunity, we Americans feared it just as much as the Iranians. There was widespread inequality, corruption, and coercion. The Shah's governing model was an iron fist in a velvet glove. I have a large number of recommendations for Reza Pahlavi II if he wants them.
Starting in late summer 1978, 2 rumors started that were to become pivotal. At that time, there was one major newspaper, and the rest of the news was disseminated by rumor. Iran had a world class rumor mill, and I suspect it is no different today. Khomeini was rumored to be allowed to come back after exile, and the Shah's daily picture in the Kayhan English language paper stopped for about 2 weeks. It then restarted with obviously fake or retouched photos with equally fake storylines. A large part of the populace was ready for change and the rumors started protests with martial law starting in Isfahan in September 1978. For once Isfahan was ahead of the curve. For the last 3 months that I was there, the former US consulate was burned down, the power was turned off nightly in Julfa and surrounding neighborhoods (except on Christmas day), there were rumors of bodies floating in the Zayandeh Rud, and I believe I was in close proximity to a public execution held in the streets on our way home from my work. I remember buying the Time magazine with the cover of a picture of the Shah surrounded by flames from the main bazaar. A group of older men looked on as I paid the vendor for the magazine and I desperately wanted to talk to them and know what they were thinking. Unfortunately my Farsi was only good enough to get around in a taxi and I was only able to look into their eyes with as much empathy as I could muster. The situation became dire and I and 380 other Americans were flown out of the brand new Isfahan airport on New Years day, 1979.
I remember that Jimmy Carter had talked about sending US warships to the gulf as a show of support for the Shah. Had that happened, I did not hold much hope for the survival of Americans in Iran. What I learned was that Iranians are a proud and resourceful people with a huge amount of culture and are very welcoming. They also don't need any other country to tell them what to do or how to act. If you expect the US to perform regime change without a large bill in the mail, you are from a different planet. Iranians effected regime change without the internet in 1979, the lack of internet will not prevent regime change in 2026. Iran is well past the 3.5 percent of the population that is required to change the regime. In 1979 the economy was stable even after the revolution - just enough to solidify the regime. Today is different. The economy is in free fall, there is no water, and foreign adventures are proving pointless in daily life. Do not ask the US for anything. If you want real change and an ally, look to the EU, Canada, Japan, and especially Ukraine for economic assistance and investment, political structure, and even security assistance. The US has lit itself on fire and cannot be trusted for many years. I moved to Canada for love and stayed for a place that I am proud to weep when the national anthem is played. One of the last times that a group of us expats had supper with some of our Iranian staff, we were asking them what the Iranian national anthem sounded like. One of the group got up and not as much sang the anthem, as became the anthem. Absolutely stirring. Iranians do not need help, they need hope. The US cannot do that, the rest of the world can and will.
Good luck with that. The president of the US and his cronies don’t care about his own people’s freedom, let alone Iranians’ (who frankly speaking, deserve freedom at least as much as the Americans, too many of whom are allowing their liberties to be stolen).
Your beloved President Trump doesn't care one bit about you or any other Iranian. Take a look at Iraq for a second. When America gets rid of the dictator, it becomes the dictator.
But like it or not, he clearly shows more support than past leaders with concrete facts and actions. That along makes a huge difference for the oppressed people. They way events have unfolded in Venezuela and Iran are unseen and they give them a light at the end of the tunnel. Even though they are welcome, your concerns for these oppressed countries are too late. They will not change the way these oppressed citizens see the whole situation.
The threat Trump could pose will never be higher than what they are living right now. That's for sure and you can not dispute it.
No he doesn’t. He breaks the law and grabs assets. Look at how he’s treated Venezuela since he had Maduro kidnapped. He doesn’t want a transition to democracy or for the legitimate winner of the 2024 elections to be anywhere near power in Venezuela. He wants the oil. And guess what Iran has?
I wish there were a reason to think the current administration would support Iran's dissidents. There is none. The evidence available to date is that the administration will harm Iran to protect Israel and will attempt to install a compliant, Trump-friendly dictator kleptocrat. This will not benefit the people of Iran or you dissidents.
Fourth, Trump needs to order his ICE goons to go home. The US has no moral authority to lecture or threaten the ayatollah re cracking down on protesters while ICE is shooting unarmed moms in their cars.
Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality’ "Only I Can Fix It!"
Iran without the regime would do well to pursue elections and democracy, so that the minorities, Kurds, etc. have a say in who governs and how:
Cheeto’s Morality Governs America And World
In a disgusting display of arrogance and lawlessness Cheeto declared that the only thing now that can stop him is his own morality!!( https://bit.ly/4r5RS15)
Let that sink in for a moment This demented depraved malignant narcissist just said the quiet dictator speak out loud No laws constrain him or his regime No domestic or international norms can check his decision making No advisors or country’s opinions will make any difference as to what he will do
Yes How he views the world and his own immoral depravity will decide how he will proceed
This is the culmination of years of a psychotic mind’s development that is now so demented that it leverages the free domestic and world order Time to protest like never before and call your Congress people to obstruct him in every way possible It may not take a midterm election to get him impeached
Liked, restacked & shared to Bluesky (as always). Thank you for this article.
I can't hold myself in anymore and feel I must offer some of my observations during the last revolution of 1979. Please also remember these are my recollections and may not be factually or historically accurate.
I was in Isfahan from September 1976 to New Years day 1979. It was a glorious time to be in Iran with a rising middle class and the beginnings of democracy. The last Shah to put it mildly was not universally loved. The Savak was equal opportunity, we Americans feared it just as much as the Iranians. There was widespread inequality, corruption, and coercion. The Shah's governing model was an iron fist in a velvet glove. I have a large number of recommendations for Reza Pahlavi II if he wants them.
Starting in late summer 1978, 2 rumors started that were to become pivotal. At that time, there was one major newspaper, and the rest of the news was disseminated by rumor. Iran had a world class rumor mill, and I suspect it is no different today. Khomeini was rumored to be allowed to come back after exile, and the Shah's daily picture in the Kayhan English language paper stopped for about 2 weeks. It then restarted with obviously fake or retouched photos with equally fake storylines. A large part of the populace was ready for change and the rumors started protests with martial law starting in Isfahan in September 1978. For once Isfahan was ahead of the curve. For the last 3 months that I was there, the former US consulate was burned down, the power was turned off nightly in Julfa and surrounding neighborhoods (except on Christmas day), there were rumors of bodies floating in the Zayandeh Rud, and I believe I was in close proximity to a public execution held in the streets on our way home from my work. I remember buying the Time magazine with the cover of a picture of the Shah surrounded by flames from the main bazaar. A group of older men looked on as I paid the vendor for the magazine and I desperately wanted to talk to them and know what they were thinking. Unfortunately my Farsi was only good enough to get around in a taxi and I was only able to look into their eyes with as much empathy as I could muster. The situation became dire and I and 380 other Americans were flown out of the brand new Isfahan airport on New Years day, 1979.
I remember that Jimmy Carter had talked about sending US warships to the gulf as a show of support for the Shah. Had that happened, I did not hold much hope for the survival of Americans in Iran. What I learned was that Iranians are a proud and resourceful people with a huge amount of culture and are very welcoming. They also don't need any other country to tell them what to do or how to act. If you expect the US to perform regime change without a large bill in the mail, you are from a different planet. Iranians effected regime change without the internet in 1979, the lack of internet will not prevent regime change in 2026. Iran is well past the 3.5 percent of the population that is required to change the regime. In 1979 the economy was stable even after the revolution - just enough to solidify the regime. Today is different. The economy is in free fall, there is no water, and foreign adventures are proving pointless in daily life. Do not ask the US for anything. If you want real change and an ally, look to the EU, Canada, Japan, and especially Ukraine for economic assistance and investment, political structure, and even security assistance. The US has lit itself on fire and cannot be trusted for many years. I moved to Canada for love and stayed for a place that I am proud to weep when the national anthem is played. One of the last times that a group of us expats had supper with some of our Iranian staff, we were asking them what the Iranian national anthem sounded like. One of the group got up and not as much sang the anthem, as became the anthem. Absolutely stirring. Iranians do not need help, they need hope. The US cannot do that, the rest of the world can and will.
But there will be no support on American college campuses unless Qatar pays for them. Qatar is also your enemy.