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[deleted] t1_j28pvj0 wrote

Reply to comment by CowardNomad in Iranian author said sentenced to death for giving interview to Israeli TV channel by essential_projection

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hunisher1 t1_j29agyr wrote

Tell me you don’t know shit about Iran’s history without telling me you don’t know shit about Iran’s history.

Fuckin fascist.

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CowardNomad t1_j28zx80 wrote

I humbly disagree.

I do not find the westerners have anything inherently special, so that only they can embrace the concept of human rights, individual rights, property rights.

I do not argue that the westerners are the one leading in this arena, but what I find uncomfortable is the idea of your description of the "rest of the world" is asiatic and orientalist, painting a picture of the so-called "barbaric East".

There’s Japan, which has the Taisho democracy period, when democracy blossomed even before WWII. I choose this period so that we can avoid the whole "is the post-war democracy somewhat forced upon them by the west" blah blah blah, that’s for r/AskHistorians, not here.

There’s Korea, which I personally believe has one of the strongest democratic spirit in Asia. Gwangju uprising is definitely not supported by the west, and the downfall of Park Geun-hye is a sign of a strongly pro-democratic people. Chaebol and corruption are serious problems, but democracy is still the wish of the people.

Then there’s Taiwan. Some use it as an example that Chinese can be democratic, some argue that they can hardly represent Chinese at all, since Waishengren (those that escaped from mainland to TW along with the KMT) only make up ~13% of the population, and the rest identify themselves as more like Taiwanese. However, even if we separate them from Chinese, their customs are still loaded with Han culture, and that didn’t prevent them from being a democratic state aligned with most of the western values while retaining their Han culture.

I know Far East is not Middle East. I know that having a democracy doesn’t means these rights can be correctly protected, flawed democracy is a thing. I know that democracy and the values you claim to be specifically western will not miraculously prevail in Iran even if the current regime fall. However, I do believe every place in this world have potential to accept democracy and related values, trying to depict the rest of the world as places doomed to be barbaric is just snobbish.

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biggKIDD0 t1_j2a405j wrote

yes the i.r. heads says the protests are just american and uk goons and they are trying to deceive youth, like its a fairytale shit, but I dare them to hold open Referendum let people freely choose for themselves, how they wanna live and how much they want these artworks we will see how many will get killed because of fuckin fashion choices and how many children die because of not agreeing to your religion

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CowardNomad t1_j2a8xzn wrote

I agree. I remember back in October the regime was claiming that they’re protecting Iran’s culture from corruption and shit… Then someone pointing out the obvious, "if hijab was part of Iran’s culture, it wouldn’t need enforcing". Laconic, but it really show how absurd this whole thing is. Destruction of a people’s intelligentsia, suppression of a people’s culture, violence as the first response towards almost any resistance, these all remind me something. This is incredible, through sheer religious fanaticism, the Ayatollah regime is somehow behaving exactly like foreign colonisers… in their own freaking land!

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outtathesky_fellapie t1_j29ummg wrote

>Back in the rest of the world, they follow the old rules of might makes right

In the modern world, we have evolved past the lizard brain stage of existance and realize that just because someone isnt benching 250lbs doesnt mean they cant materially contribute to society in a fashion that benefits most or all. Maybe one day you too will evolve past lizard brain levels of existance. Youll like it, its nice appreciating people for what they have to offer as opposed to only valuing one or two character/physical traits.

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