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Comment by roenxi | Hacker News Reader

Israel is openly committed [0] to seeing regime change in Iran; they were mowing down civilian and military leadership just last year. The US got involved. There is the history of western involvement [1] in overthrowing Iranian governments.

With that background I'm more worried about what the US's role here will be rather than what may or may not be taking place in Iran. My understanding is that the simulations around an invasion of the country were even more disastrous than the excursions in Afghanistan and Iraq and we really could use some signals of competence out of the US right now. We seem to be dangerously far into a WWI or WWII style environment internationally and we're already past the threshold of nuclear risk that sane actors would accept.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Israel_war

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran#Mosaddegh_and_the_Shah's_...

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1,000 of people are being executed in Iran. 10,000 of people are being mutilated and injured. 1,000 of executions are planned — but you are somehow worried about the US's role more than this?

Fascinating.

Nothing says legitimacy like having to shoot people en masse in the street

  they were mowing down civilian and military leadership

Which 'civilians' were targets? Are we thinking of the employees of state television or Evin prison? It's unlikely the average Iranian shed tears over them.

For perspective, the Iranian protesters themselves have been burning down state television buildings this week, not to mention mosques, police stations, and other centers that the regime uses to control the people.

Nobody is talking seriously about sending foreign troops to rescue the protesters, but some strikes to take out regime targets would be welcome.

"Israel is openly committed [0] to seeing regime change in Iran; they were mowing down civilian and military leadership just last year. "

Are you surprised? The Islamic Republic has been drumming "Death to the USA, death to Israel" for almost fifty years and they invested a lot of money into both Hezbollah and their nuclear program.

They obviously cannot destroy America, but they could destroy Israel. Are you surprised that Israel wants to deny them this capability?

Ok but also the Iran government has not been particularly good right?

Like, the previous king was a clown, true, but this regime hasn't exactly been a steward of the people's happiness has it

If you picked a random baker and put him in charge he'd do a better job

The situation with the Shah is somewhat similar to the situation around the English Civil War in the 17th century.

The King was authoritarian, but also a bohemian. The Roundheads were religious fanatics. They succeeded in overthrowing the Crown and executing the King, but they also turned out to be insufferably religious. After Cromwell died, the population re-invited the deposed monarch's son back, under some conditions. He met those conditions; his successor did not, but was promptly thrown out into exile, because he wasn't able to consolidate enough power anymore.

Unfortunately the Iranian population wasn't able to reconsider their choice after Khomeini's death (1989), because the government was much stronger and much more willing to kill. Also because of the Iraq-Iran war.

Did the Shah also order that virgins be raped before they are executed so they don't go to heaven, or is this equivalence entirely false?

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