Iranian atheist. My main goal in life is to see the US embassy in Iran open again. Liberal. Non-binary. Loves literature, cinema, and video games. (they/them)
@Hanasaku_Yuri
A few days ago I was talking to a friend and I said "I think that violates HIPAA" and then we realized we don't know what the law actually is here in Iran
Every president of Iran
1. Removed and exiled
2. Assassinated
3. Became Supreme Leader
4. Barred from future elections
5. Barred from future elections
6. Barred from future elections
7. Barred from future elections
8. Barbecued
Iran is a polarized country where millions of people support different ideas. One main problem is that almost all political factions (regime supporters, reformists, the opposition) insist that they're the only Iranians and everyone else is somehow fake.
I'm a queer person living in Iran. I'm closeted because I'm afraid of the bigotry. Believe it or not, I still don't want to be bombed, and have my neighborhoods leveled to the ground. Bombings don't cure bigotry, believe it or not.
@JoePostingg
Abortion is one of those issues that only the most extreme stances are logically coherent. Either it's a completely neutral medical procedure or clinic bombings are heroic.
@notkavi
Also the US hasn't been an empire for the entirety of its existence. There are wild debates about since when the US became a superpower or a hegemon, but no one thinks it was from its founding.
A Trump presidency would be disastrous for Iran and the wider world, but I'm completely unable to muster righteous rage against anyone who refuses to vote for Biden. Biden's policy toward Israel is unforgivable. No matter how much I disagree I just can't help but sympathize.
@nikicaga
You can't convince people to buy iphones, worse and yet more expensive phones, except if make it a mark of social status and identity. Gramsci was right.
@Wiglet1981
Just because you're struggling, it doesn't mean you're failing. It also doesn't mean you're NOT failing. You might be failing. I don't know what you want me to say.
@umichvoter
No one will remember this report two weeks from now. Whether Biden is OK or not, the campaign season itself will provide the evidence, not this report.
@mintgreenapples
@notkavi
I understood the word "empire" to mean a nation-state with overwhelming global power, basically the global hegemon, not a nation-state which engages in imperialism. The 250 number is usually used about the first definition, not the latter.
@bengrossbg
Also just because she's in Georgia protesting against a policy that's encouraged by Putin doesn't mean she's not leftist. Lots of leftists hate Putin. I honestly feel like only a small minority of leftists are in bag for Putin.
This is the double repression of queer people in Muslim majority cultures. Not only our basic rights are denied, we're equated with imperialism. In fact, this is just a rewording of all dehumanizing discourses. Imperialism is just a word meant to make it less objectionable.
I don’t think that when some cultures object to the social and cultural norms of other cultures, it’s inherently reactionary.
That position is imperialism at its essence.
@spicy1812
There's always rumors of that, but no. I don't think anyone is forced to participate. I have never seen that in my many years of working for the state. They make it really easy (for example, providing free busing) but since these demonstrations always take place on holidays ...
@JoePostingg
Whenever I read something about Iran in an English text, I am taken aback by how violent or dramatic Persian is.
For example, "I want to sacrifice myself for you" is just a mild greeting or equivalent to "you're welcome"
Tweets like these are an inaccurate description of what Wil Wheaton said. He didn't simply share his own experience, he made a moral judgment about something innocuous.
@lefttwick
Also killing Raisi wouldn't be in Israel's interests in a meaningful way. It's not like he was instrumental in setting Iran's policy on Israel.
Seeing a lot of reformists, social democrats, & other libs & delusional types parroting this Human Rights Watch ass talking point.
They weren’t executed bc they were communists, but bc they were traitors.
In the honor of Shelley Duval passing away, let's dispel with the disrespectful myth that her performance in The Shining was a result of her having a panick attack due to Kubrick toturing her. No, it just was a great performance, thanks to her own skills.
@gothgirl_prelaw
I feel like someone moderately to the right of me is still a center left politician, so them.
Between a moderate conservative and a leftist, I'll go for the leftist in 90% of cases, unless I think that the leftist is a genuine threat to democracy (eg in Venezuela).
@JoePostingg
Let me also stress that I don't think this is the most important thing -- I'll gladly live in a world with more logically unsound people than people who want to treat abortion like murder
These results are catastrophic for the Islamic Republic of Iran. Like can't be understated. Extremely low turnout + 43% the reformist vote + 20% invalid votes
This is the warning sign before downfall
@lefttwick
I know that this might sound tacky coming from an Iranian -- but there's an inherent tension in both saying that Israel is the only real democracy in the Middle East and that the government is not representative of its people.
@spicy1812
There's no way to force anyone to participate.
Also, at least 30% of people support the regime, based on voting patterns. That's a huge chunk of people.
@lefttwick
Our institution names are also fantasy villain name coded
The Guardian Council
The Assembly of Experts
The Council of Expediency
The Ministry of Islamic Guidance
Who remembers when the sun was golden not silvery, the sky was deep rich blue, not pale milky blue, and robust gorgeous cirrus clouds were everywhere, crisply delineated in the sky; when the sky was not plagued with weird streaks that spread with horrid inevitability, blocking
The fates of eight billion people is still more important than the life of one rapist fascist. Trump's unworthy life or death only matters to the world as much as it impacts the election or other consequences of this event.
@lefttwick
Before I became an atheist, I converted to Sunni Islam for a while because of Shiism's emphasis on sacred objects and people and rituals and superstitions and that made it not monotheistic enough. I understand why the same thing might make it attractive to someone from outside.
I don't know what will I achieve before I die. But I'm proudest of all those queer and otherwise oppressed kids who saw me safe enough to confide in when their families and the theocratic society would have shunned them.
This kinda offends me because of its bigotry of low expectations. People in the Middle East are not some cut off from the rest of the world. We have internet and know English and have access to foreign media. I became an atheist when I was 14 and 1/?
Woah, a 19-year-old from Yemen doesn’t like Jews? Who gives a shit! he’s probably never met Jew in his life and almost certainly never will! His only exposure to Jews is from videos of IDF soldiers spray painting the Star of David onto bombed out homes in Gaza
@CartoonsHateHer
I voted yes, but I think it's not a very good binary. Your normieness is very intentional, performative, and weaponized, which differs from most normies who stumble into it.
When I was a teenager I had to undergo a surgery in order to remove my appendix. The hospital used a bad drug for anesthesia and about thirty people died. It was a minor national scandal. Doctors had no idea why or how I survived.
@CartoonsHateHer
I have always advocated for both free childcare and a salary for stay at home parents by government. It's crazy that we expect people to do this for free, considering how important it is for the larger society.
The fact that Khamenei was a serious fan of literature has been the worst thing that has happened to Iranian book market and literature. Dude gets personally involved with the censorships and banned authors and such.
@mattyglesias
@DouthatNYT
I don't see anything wrong with what described in the article, honestly. Wish he had given his reasons about WHY this is a dystopia rather than tautologically repeating it.
@lefttwick
It's in the most geostrategically important region of the world when it comes to the US and China rivalry. They're both desperate to be its bigger ally.