Edit: I updated the title per suggestions.
Edit: I apologize for snapping at people in the comments. I was arguing with someone earlier today and bad habits make preventable mistakes. I’ll do better.
I deliberately didn’t talk about the current events going on in Iran with the justification that a) I’m not from there b) I don’t know enough. But this article takes some concepts I thought I knew and spits them back at me.
I kept quiet about Israel for a long time because I was afraid of being called a bigot, and I will regret that until I die. So why am I suddenly willing to do this again when it comes to Iran? Because some of their interests align with mine? Because I’m afraid of pissing off reactionaries even within leftist spaces and then losing access to them?
What sort of Anarchist, leftist, or being capable of empathy would I be if I remain silent when I know something is wrong.
Thank you for posting this, gave me a lot to think about. I found myself worrying about what comes after the reactionary ruling class of Iran gets overthrown. I’m not sure how good I feel about that as my first knee-jerk reaction. Patriarchy must be defeated, and I like wishcasting a more moderate Iran that could open up if only the West would let the people breath.
Lots to consider. Thank you.
The liberals of Iran and their exile networks are not social progressives, they are culturally monarchist and explicitly Reaganite in their outlook toward the working class of “their country”
There is no universe where a fallen Iran leads to the west “letting the people breath” the plans the exiles have for Iran is outright banditry and a copying of the stock doctrine applied to post-Soviet states, they don’t hide their intentions, they blame the working class of Iran for the revolution and the way they talk amongst themselves about the “over-populated” cities and eduction system reminded me of the tortured logic of the Khemer Rouge
The Iranian diaspora and liberals are more homophobic and much more transphobic than the Iranian government.
Despite the stereotypes, if Pahlavi gains power, I forsee a massacre of queer people and western liberals either
- pretending that nothing is happening (ala Syria)
- claiming that this is somehow better than before
- blaming Iranians on a racial basis
- doing
We aren’t talking about liberals. We’re talking about the underclass who can’t leave the region and is unlikely to be able to have any reach.
There’s still that optimist deep down inside of me that hopes they are influenced by the many autonomous zones in the region. But I’ll admit I don’t know enough about the region to know if what I heard about them is even true.
What have you heard about “the region”? What autonomous zones?
The largest autonomous zone would be Rojava. They’re a confederation of several autonomous nations who follow a variant of Bookchin’s communalism. They’re the ones who defeated isil. But they’re not the only autonomous groups in West Asia, but they are the largest.
As far as I’ve heard, the article sums up a lot of it. Religious repression, foreign interference, police state. Things like that.
Also, do you think this article is relevant regarding the current riots and that we should provide unconditional support to the forces seeking to overthrow the Islamic regime?
“For once just have our backs unconditionally”
pog
Ok so you’re just an unserious person, got it
