The demonization of Iran


Recommended Posts

The demonization of Iran

by Patrick Cockburn

The demonization campaign against Iran has the earmarks of a prelude for a military attack by the U.S. and Israel against Iran. The propaganda is very similar to that heaped upon Iraq?s Saddam Hussein in 2002. In both cases, an isolated state with limited resources is portrayed as posing a genuine threat to the region and the world.

Iran has long been denounced in Washington as the source of much of the evil in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies see the hand of Tehran behind protests in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia?s oil-rich Eastern Province. As the last US forces leave Iraq by the end of the year, there are dire warnings of Iraq becoming an Iranian pawn.

This demonization of Iran at times seems to set the stage for a military attack on Iran by the US and Israel. The propaganda build-up is very similar to that directed against Saddam Hussein?s Iraq in 2002. In both cases, an isolated state with limited resources is presented as a real danger to the region and the world. Unlikely and sometimes comical conspiracy theories are given official credence, such as the supposed plot of an Iranian-American used-car dealer in Texas teaming up with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington. Iran?s nuclear program is identified as a threat in much the same way as Saddam Hussein?s non-existent WMD.

It therefore came as a shock when the distinguished Egyptian-American lawyer Cherif Bassiouni, who led the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry into this year?s unrest, said flatly in his 500-page report last week that there is no evidence of Iranian involvement in events in Bahrain. This had been a core belief of Bahrain?s royal family and the monarchs of the Gulf. Fear of Iranian armed intervention was Bahrain?s justification for calling in a 1,500-strong Saudi-led military force on March 14 of this year before it drove demonstrators from the streets. Bahrain even got Kuwaiti naval vessels to patrol the coast of the island in case Iran should try to deliver weapons to the Shia pro-democracy protesters.

No doubt the kings and emirs of the Gulf sincerely believe their own conspiracy theories. Many of those tortured during the brutal repression in Bahrain have since given evidence that their torturers repeatedly asked them about their links to Iran. Middle-aged hospital consultants were forced to sign confessions admitting that they were members of an Iranian revolutionary plot. After accepting the Bassiouni report, King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa said that, though his government could not produce clear evidence, Tehran?s role was evident to ?all who have eyes and ears?.

Edited by Neobond
Full article copy/paste not allowed
Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1043657-the-demonization-of-iran/
Share on other sites

Iran doesn't need anyone to demonize them - they're doing a fine job all by themselves.

To repeat what I've stated before, "The United States is responsible for turning Iran into what it is today".

Just like when you have to put down your dog if it goes mad; how it got that way is irrelevant, it still has to go down. The rest is just arm waving.

It's not just Iran, but Iraq and Afghanistan as well. The US supported Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, only turning on him when he became an inconvenience. The US used Afghans to fight the Soviets, then just left them to fester. The US is responsible for creating so much wrong in this world, so if any government needs to be "put down"...

This documentary sums it up pretty well.

Maybe if one is a terrorist. What I see is hogwash propaganda. I remermnber this much better:

iran_hostages.jpg

http://www.historygu...age_crisis.html

On November 4, 1979, radical Iranian students seized the United States Embassy complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The immediate cause of this takeover was the anger many Iranians felt over the U.S. President Jimmy Carter allowing the deposed former ruler of Iran, Shah Reza Pahlavi, to enter the U.S. for medical treatment. In Iran, this was believed to be an opening move leading up an American-backed return to power by the Shah. The crisis which followed this seizure created a near state of war, ruined Jimmy Carter's presidency, and began an environment of hostility between America and Iran which continues to this day.

Though fear of an American-backed return by the Shah was the publicly stated reason, the true cause of the seizure was the long-standing U.S. support for the Shah's government. Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran from 1941 to 1979, with a brief period of exile in 1953 when he fled to Italy due to a power struggle with Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. Because Mossadegh's policies and announcements created concern over access to Iranian oil, oil prices, and possible Soviet influence in Iran, the United States and British intelligence services aided Iranian military officers in a coup to overthrow the Prime Minister. After his return to power, the Shah established a very close alliance with the United States. The U.S. supplied weapons, training, and technical knowledge that aided the Shah in modernizing his country. However, the Shah ruled as a dictator, using SAVAK, his secret police, to terrorize his political enemies. The Shah was opposed by both the Marxist Tudeh Party, and by fundamentalist Islamic leaders who believed his policies and his reliance on the Americans were corrupting Iranian society.

Iran doesn't need anyone to demonize them - they're doing a fine job all by themselves.

My first reaction when I read the title.

It's not just Iran, but Iraq and Afghanistan as well. The US supported Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war, only turning on him when he became an inconvenience. The US used Afghans to fight the Soviets, then just left them to fester. The US is responsible for creating so much wrong in this world, so if any government needs to be "put down"...

You're more than welcome to try. Just don't cry when you, your children, and everything you hold dear are scorched.

To repeat what I've stated before, "The United States is responsible for turning Iran into what it is today".

Not quite. It's not a parking lot...yet.

  • Like 2

-snip-

They did that TO SEND A MESSAGE that the American government was ABUSING their power and thought they could do whatever they wanted. The Iranian's don't hate the people in the US or any place in the world. They hate the government.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93United_States_relations#The_1979_revolution[/url'>]On November 4' date=' 1979, the revolutionary group Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, angered that the recently deposed Shah had been allowed into the United States, occupied the American embassy in Tehran and took American diplomats hostage. The 52 American diplomats were held hostage for 444 days.

In Iran, the incident was seen by many as a blow against American influence in Iran and the liberal-moderate interim government of Prime Minister Mehdi Bazargan, who opposed the hostage taking and resigned soon after. [b']The hostage takers felt that their action was connected to the 1953 American-backed coup against the government of Prime Minister Mosaddeq.

"You have no right to complain, because you took our whole country hostage in 1953.?[/b]

said one of the hostage takers to Bruce Laingen, chief U.S. diplomat in Iran at the time. Some Iranians were concerned that the United States may have been plotting another coup against their country in 1979 from the American embassy.

Then do you also remember this:

http://en.wikipedia...._Air_Flight_655

Iran is doing nothing wrong. Their land and their lives. Who the **** is the world to tell them what they can do and can't do when the whole world is more corrupt than them. That's the whole point.

  • Like 2

Not quite. It's not a parking lot...yet.

Stupidest post goes to you. I was born in Iran and despite what everyone thinks it's a beautiful place. I've been there 3 times since we moved to Canada when I was only 4 years old. My parents fled the country when it was going through a regime change and even after all the hard time my parents had we still make time once a year to go back and see family. It's a whole different place but it's not that far off...they do sell beer, and you are allowed to smoke. In different cities woman don?t have to have their hair covered it's changing...for the better? Who honestly knows? I wouldn?t go to a thread and bash America so I?d appreciate if you showed some respect as well.

Thank you.

They did that TO SEND A MESSAGE that the American government was ABUSING their power and thought they could do whatever they wanted. The Iranian's don't hate the people in the US or any place in the world. They hate the government.

Then do you also remember this:

http://en.wikipedia...._Air_Flight_655

Iran is doing nothing wrong. Their land and their lives. Who the **** is the world to tell them what they can do and can't do when the whole world is more corrupt than them. That's the whole point.

By providing medical care to a dying person. Beam Me UP.

http://www.historygu...age_crisis.html

On November 4, 1979, radical Iranian students seized the United States Embassy complex in the Iranian capital of Tehran. The immediate cause of this takeover was the anger many Iranians felt over the U.S. President Jimmy Carter allowing the deposed former ruler of Iran, Shah Reza Pahlavi, to enter the U.S. for medical treatment. In Iran, this was believed to be an opening move leading up an American-backed return to power by the Shah. The crisis which followed this seizure created a near state of war, ruined Jimmy Carter's presidency, and began an environment of hostility between America and Iran which continues to this day.

The US supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, a war that lasted for 8 years, killed half a million people, and involved the use of chemical weapons by Saddam. A hostage crisis by a bunch of students in which nobody died simply doesn't compare.

  • Like 2

The US supported Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran, a war that lasted for 8 years, killed half a million people, and involved the use of chemical weapons by Saddam. A hostage crisis by a bunch of students in which nobody died simply doesn't compare.

So, what is your point? Iran is an evil, terrorist nation. Hussein did that, the US did not condone it and the UN and or any other nation did nothing about it until the US took out Sadamn.Sadamn killed more of his own people than Iranians.

Though fear of an American-backed return by the Shah was the publicly stated reason, the true cause of the seizure was the long-standing U.S. support for the Shah's government. Reza Pahlavi ruled Iran from 1941 to 1979, with a brief period of exile in 1953 when he fled to Italy due to a power struggle with Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh. Because Mossadegh's policies and announcements created concern over access to Iranian oil, oil prices, and possible Soviet influence in Iran, the United States and British intelligence services aided Iranian military officers in a coup to overthrow the Prime Minister. After his return to power, the Shah established a very close alliance with the United States. The U.S. supplied weapons, training, and technical knowledge that aided the Shah in modernizing his country. However, the Shah ruled as a dictator, using SAVAK, his secret police, to terrorize his political enemies. The Shah was opposed by both the Marxist Tudeh Party, and by fundamentalist Islamic leaders who believed his policies and his reliance on the Americans were corrupting Iranian society.

Some facts about Iran that aren't part of most discussions:

1. Islamic clerics in Iran don't hate the United States for the coup of Mossadegh and the return of the Shah; they supported the return of the Shah themselves and supported the United States for helping. They only turned against the Shah when he started Westernization policies. So whenever the Iranian government talks about the evil coup by the Americans, they're being disingenuous.

2. Those in Iran who supported the Shah did so because they were afraid that Mossadegh's control of the government and his political rhetoric would eventually give power to Communists in Iran, who were funded by the Soviet Union. If the United States stayed out of Iran's affairs, what may have likely happened is instead of a pro-Western dictator, there would have been a pro-Soviet dictator. That is, there would have been a dictator either way.

3. Fundamentalist Islam was on the rise in Iran since the 30s, when fascism was on the rise in Europe; just, unlike in Europe, they were not destroyed by the war. The Shah's Westernization policies, and claims of the Shah being a puppet, were just an excuse for them to seize power.

4. The Shah nationalized Iran's oil industry, openly going against Western interests; this makes the criticism that the US supported the Shah because of oil a bit strange.

By providing medical care to a dying person. Beam Me UP.

Noob.

The Islamic revolutionaries wished to extradite and execute the ousted Shah, and Carter refused to give him any further support or help return him to power. The Shah, suffering from cancer, requested entry into the United States for treatment. The American embassy in Tehran opposed the request, as they were intent on stabilizing relations between the new interim revolutionary government of Iran and the United States.

Despite agreeing with the staff of the American embassy, Carter agreed after pressure from Kissinger, Rockefeller, and other pro-Shah political figures. The move was used by the Iranian revolutionaries to justify their claims that the former monarch was an American puppet, and this led to the storming of the American embassy by radical students allied with the Khomeini faction.

How do you not understand this? By supporting the Shah, the US basically told Iran f-u, in the middle of a revolution, we don't support you. As a result, that's why Iran hates the American government.

Too many people are too uneducated in politics to be even be talking about it. :rolleyes: Thankfully none of you are running any of the worlds nations or none of us would be alive right now.

Noob.

How do you not understand this? By supporting the Shah, the US basically told Iran f-u, in the middle of a revolution, we don't support you. As a result, that's why Iran hates the American government.

Too many people are too uneducated in politics to be even be talking about it. :rolleyes: Thankfully none of you are running any of the worlds nations or none of us would be alive right now.

Listen, I was at The Cleveland Clinic when The Shah was there. He had the entire 4th floor. Please keep your hate to yourself, I am not a noob.How do you not understand what Country you live in? If you like Iran so much why do not you move there?

How do you not understand this? By supporting the Shah, the US basically told Iran f-u, in the middle of a revolution, we don't support you. As a result, that's why Iran hates the American government.

Too many people are too uneducated in politics to be even be talking about it. :rolleyes: Thankfully none of you are running any of the worlds nations or none of us would be alive right now.

Yes, Iranian clerics hate the United States because the President allowed the Shah to get treatment for cancer. How could people be so stupid not to see it!

The ties between the Nazi's and Persia need exploring.

German-Persian ties go back a long ways, at least to 1819, but in the 1930's Reza Pahlavi's close ties with the Nazi's started worrying people; they were building all manner of infrastructure and basically turning Persia into a client state and source of war materials. In a 1935 effort to impress Nazi Germany he even requested other nations to address his country as "Iran," Persian for Aryan. From 1939 until 1941 Nazi Germany was Iran's #1 trade partner, which ended when the Allies forced Reza Pahlavi out, installed his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and also removed the pro-Nazi bureaucracy.

Now, please regale us on how this was wrong. < crickets >

Unfortunately this contact with the Nazi's also included the transfer of large quantities of "educational" materials, much of which had a distinct anti-semitic flare that paralleled the Nazi influence on the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine and Egypt that we're still dealing with.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • US citizens are paying to their government, who could use that to fund healthcare and tuition and relieve the costs of these for citizens instead of making tax breaks that overwhelmingly favor the rich. I'm not saying that tariffs are the correct solution, but what else would they be used for? What else could Trump have in mind for wanting them, if he hasn't figured out that labor costs are higher in the US?
    • I’m in need of a new chair and it sounds like the backrest cannot be locked? I also sat on a Herman miller and was devastated that it couldn’t be locked also, what is going on with chairs. I want to be able to lock the backrest into any position but not even the Herman’s do that
    • Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 Ergonomic Office Chair review: The Ikea of chairs by Steven Parker I've reviewed a few gaming chairs over the past three years or so and generally found them to score well in our reviews. SIHOO reached out asking if I was interested in taking a look at their flagship chair, the Doro C300 Pro V2. I never got the chance to check out its predecessor, but the V2 is described as an "Adaptive Ergonomic Chair." It became available to buy in April of this year. Let's get things rolling with a closer look at the specifications and features. Specifications Doro C300 Pro V2 Model Ergonomic Materials Mesh Back and Seat; Soft PU Coated Armrests Height adjustability 45.5 - 53 cm / 17.5" - 20.9" Seat (w+d) 52 x 43 - 47 cm / 20.5" x 16.9" - 18.5" (adjustable) Backrest 52 – 60 cm / 20.5" - 23.6" (adjustable) Lumbar support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Armrest adjustability 8D Bionic Armrests Rocking angle 105°, 120°, 135° (fixed) Neck support Mesh built-in (adjustable) Net weight 27.3 kg / 59.64 lbs Weight support 150 kg / 330 lbs Colors Black, White Warranty 5 years (upon registering) Price $499.99, $539.99 Introduction At first glance, it looks like a chair that in another life wants to be a Herman Miller; It certainly looks like my Aeron Remastered, but the Doro C300 Pro V2 has quite a few more features and costs quite a bit less. SIHOO says that it is made up of a "DynaCore" system that tracks your movement and synchronizes the headrest, backrest, lumbar support, and armrests as you shift, twist, or recline. They also say that the "SyncroFlex Backrest" molds to your spine, which kind of describes how the mesh fabric works in most ergonomic chairs, but anyway. Below are the meat and potatoes measurements for the chair. Here is the same tech sheet, but in inches. Durability I would be remiss to not talk about the various durability testing this chair underwent before coming to market, as this is claimed on the product page. First of all, the chair is BIFMA-, SGS-, and TÜV-certified. As for durability, the tests undergone were: 100,000 Castor cycles tested 120,000 Armrest cycles tested 120,000 Recline cycles tested 120,000 Gas lift cycles tested 60,000 Armrest durability cycles tested 120,000 Rotation cycles tested Nothing about weights testing, though. Now that's all disclosed, now onto my own personal findings. Assembly The Doro C300 Pro V2 came in two large boxes (1) (2), and everything was packed very well, protecting the different parts of the chair. In the box, there is a folded sheet that explains the 12 steps to assemble it; they are: Remove the bottom cover on the aluminum base; Insert the five legs into the aluminum base and use ten screws to fasten them; Insert the castors into the legs; Replace the bottom cover on the bottom of the aluminum base; Place the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder into the aluminum base; Screw the bottom part of the arm rests, taking care of the orientation using two screws on each side; Use three torx screws to fasten the footrest to the bottom of the seat; Fasten the backrest to the seat using four torx bolts; Fasten the armrests to the backrest using four Torx bolts (two on each side), taking care to note the orientation; Place the chair onto the Class 4 Hydraulics gas cylinder; Insert the headrest into the top of the backrest; Use two torx screws to fasten the headrest to the backrest. There's also an online guide you can refer to. Carefully unpacking the two boxes took around 15 minutes because almost everything is wrapped in plastic and protective foam; the chair assembly itself took around an hour. I say in the above assembly steps to take note of the orientation, because it's not obvious which way around the bottom portion of the armrests go, and although there is an L and R on the bottom of the armrests, it also wasn't clear from the instructions which was actually left or right, facing the chair, or in the seated down orientation? Anyway, I ended up putting the bottom portions on the wrong sides, and after securing one of the armrests, I discovered that although it was on the correct side, the armrest base could rotate a full 360°, but not when bolted to the chair, so I had to remove it, rotate it, and then bolt it back on. Truly an Ikea experience! Also, to complicate things further, although all the parts are labeled from A to X (yes, that's 24 parts) unhelpfully, these letters do not appear on the parts themselves or the package with the bolts, screws, and washers. There's also a pair of protective gloves in the box, but I think they were made for much smaller hands than I have. Even my friend, who is 5.1, had difficulty putting them on. Once assembled, I needed to sit down. Anyway, as I said, it looks quite similar to my Herman Miller. And here is the back of it. If you look at the product page and on Amazon, it seems like a lot of thought has gone into the chair itself and what it's capable of, but there is no mention at all about the castors, and this is an area where I think the chair trips up quite quickly. I found it difficult to move the chair in any direction. I asked a friend who came to visit me earlier this week to test my findings, and she said that the wheels were "no good," so it definitely isn't just me. I am 6'2 myself and a big guy, I work from home and gained a few pounds from mostly staying in and the hell away from other people. However, the Doro C300 Pro V2 is rated for up to 150kg (330lbs), which in my case is used well within its max rating. Ergonomics The number of adjustments you can make, right up to setting it in nap mode — which I haven't fully tested yet — is what you'd expect from a premium chair. Yes, you can go up and down (max 7.5 cm adjustment), rock back and forth (with tilt adjustment), and lock the chair between three stages of 105°, 120°, 135°, which is not quite as flat as the AndaSeat I tested at 160°. Some thought has also gone into the "8D" armrests, too, which are cushioned but quite firm; you'll only know it if you press hard into the PU-covered tops, which give about half a centimeter, but it's enough to ensure your skin won't get awkwardly stuck to it in warmer (or sweatier) conditions. It almost feels like plastic and is very easy to keep clean. However, the armrest positions move far too easily, and I am not sure what that "elbow" function is. Maybe it is good for a short person with short arms, anyway, I never used it and kept it flat at all times. There are eight levels of adjustment for the armrests, they are: backwards, forwards, swing left/right, height up and down, tilt, and 360° rotation, which can be handy for desk clearance. As I said, the armrest pads shift far too easily, which could give off an ergonomic vibe, but who wants the armrest sliding when you are shifting weight? The height adjustability does lock into place when lifting and adjusting. Comfort This is ultimately what it boils down to at the end of the day, right? Quite a lot of reviews praise the comfort of this chair, and I don't disagree that the mesh seating is quite comfortable. I am used to the material from my daily Herman Miller. However, the backrest cannot be locked into place, and this is actually a feature; as you shift or recline yourself on the chair, the backrest moves with your body. It took some getting used to. The lumbar gives ample support, but I would have preferred an adjustable one built into the seat base, as this causes the backrest to move up and down at will. Again, as with my previous chair review, this chair is also rated for tall people, but nowhere in the product documentation does it say how tall. Being 6'2 myself, I'm happy to say that the backrest is tall and wide enough, and thought has been given to being able to adjust the neck rest, but as others have mentioned in their reviews, people as tall as 6.2ft is about the limit for the neckrest. Conclusion What I didn't like The footrest is rated for 15kg (33 lbs), which to me seems a bit light, and after looking online, it seems like a chair footrest for adults must be at least twice that rating. In all honesty, they are just hollow metal tubes, so it is not recommended to let a kid sit on them. I also feel like it doesn't really go out far enough for my height, so that kind of puts the dampener on me being able to use it regularly. I'll just have to continue to use my subwoofer as a footrest! I do not like the armrests being able to shift around as easily as they can, and they are a little too forward-positioned in the chair to comfortably sit close to my desk, because even in the lowest height position, they don't allow me to go under the desk like is possible with my Herman Miller. I also feel like this chair could have been delivered partially constructed, especially the armrests on the seat, and why the aluminum base wasn't already pre-constructed (without the castors) is baffling, considering it would have fit in one of the two boxes that way. The instructions also need to be clearer. On the pamphlet, there's an A to X listing (which is also used in the steps), but none of the physical parts use this lettering system! What I did like I'll be honest, I haven't used it for very long, just one week, and seating comfort is subjective after all! Any spills wiped straight off it, the stitching, and the lines look great, not a fray to be seen or stitch out of place. It looks kind of cool, too. My favorite feature of these seats is the nap mode. While you're not lying completely flat, it leans far back enough to make you easily doze off after a heavy gaming or working session. Overall, this chair offers plenty of comfort features. The MSRP does vary quite a bit depending on the region, at £549.99 in the UK, and €580 in Europe, and $599 before tax in the U.S. However, shipping is free, which is a bonus for such a heavy item. Is it worth it, though? At three years' warranty, I think it's a decent deal. Another firm out of Germany sent me a free replacement hydraulic gas spring for a chair that failed after almost four years, so it was well outside its two-year warranty. My advice is to always try, as you might have the same luck I did. If I could fault it at all, it would be the constant shifting of the armrests and backrest. Where to buy Although the footrest variant normally costs $539.99, it has been discounted to $469.99 on the official website in Black or White. In fact, the non-footrest variant is only $40 cheaper. On Amazon, it currently costs more at $499.99 links below. Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $469.99 (official website) Sihoo Doro C300 Pro V2 for $499.99 at Amazon US SIHOO provided a free sample without any review or pre-approval. Good to know This Amazon link is U.S. specific, and not available in other regions unless specified. We only use first-party seller links (at the time of article publishing); ensure that you purchase from a first-party seller link only. Check out Today's Deals on Amazon | or our recent tech deals. Become a Prime member (for Students or SNAP) via Neowin Get Prime Access - Prime for half price (for qualifying Medicaid, EBT, SNAP) Subscribe to Prime Video, Audible Plus, Music Unlimited or Kindle Unlimited via Neowin As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Making US citizens pay is a prominent tool? Joke of the week…
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      jessse3334 earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Reacting Well
      JuvenileDelinquent earned a badge
      Reacting Well
    • One Month Later
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      Excellence2025 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      flexorcist earned a badge
      Week One Done
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      506
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      207
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      151
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      73
    5. 5
      macoman
      62
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!