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  1. #1

    On the Streets of Tehran, 'We Like America'

    On the streets of Tehran, 'we like America'

    "I can recall the good old days, before the revolution, when we had good relations with the United States," he said. "We all lived better. Now we live worse."

    "America is spoken of more like an estranged cousin, maybe an annoying cousin, but nevertheless one with whom people would like to reconcile"

    "On the streets, it was clear in conversations with dozens of people over the last week that there is no appetite for getting into another showdown with the United States. In fact, most people said they are hoping for just the opposite.


    "Many people who want more democratic governments in this region, whether on the left or the right, say, however reluctantly, that they view the United States as an effective vehicle to force change in regimes unwilling to yield power.""

    "We don't hate America. We like to have better relations. It's just the governments."


    Basically, then, if it was up to the Iranian people, Iran would not be a problem for the U.s. or any other country. But, unfortunately, the majority of the people in Iran are not in control, and the ruling Ayatollahs may bring confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.

  2. #2
    Just finished reading the article. Man, that government is definitely taking the wrong road by putting up anti-America murals. That's terrible to force feed to the people, especially younger kids who might not understand what exactly is going on. I have some friends of my family that are from Iran, they've told me a bit about the problems in their country when they were still living there, but not in full detail.

  3. #3
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    The Ayatollahs in Iran are constantly being viewed badly in the eyes of the Iranian people. Most Iranians are a good, secular people, but unfortunately there is a dictatorship in place in Iran. Hopefully soon, we will see something like what happened in the Ukraine. We need a partner in the middle east besides Israel.

  4. #4
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    Originally posted by varg
    The Ayatollahs in Iran are constantly being viewed badly in the eyes of the Iranian people. Most Iranians are a good, secular people, but unfortunately there is a dictatorship in place in Iran. Hopefully soon, we will see something like what happened in the Ukraine. We need a partner in the middle east besides Israel.
    somehow I am skeptical of this statement and the article in light of the results of the recent election.
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  5. #5
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    Originally posted by varg
    The Ayatollahs in Iran are constantly being viewed badly in the eyes of the Iranian people. Most Iranians are a good, secular people, but unfortunately there is a dictatorship in place in Iran. Hopefully soon, we will see something like what happened in the Ukraine. We need a partner in the middle east besides Israel.
    Are you secular? Is secularism necessarily good? I'm not inputting my biases here; I'm just asking a question. However, I don't know how you can put "good" and "secular" together when the majority of Americans are somewhat religious; are they not good?

  6. #6
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    As far as I can tell this is a thread about Iranian popular opinion.

    What does American secularism have to do with anything?

  7. #7
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    Originally posted by blue27
    As far as I can tell this is a thread about Iranian popular opinion.

    What does American secularism have to do with anything?
    Blue, I think you ought to cool off for tonight. You're getting rather belligerent.

    I was simply questioning varg's assertion that most Iranians are good people because they are secular by comparing it to Americans, the majority of whom are religious.

  8. #8
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    I have always thought Iran was trying to go down the "democracy" route. Which was why I thought it was odd they were named one of the "Axis of Evil".. go figure. I guess you say it enough times.. it must be true :\
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  9. #9
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    Originally posted by SniperDevil
    Blue, I think you ought to cool off for tonight. You're getting rather belligerent.

    I was simply questioning varg's assertion that most Iranians are good people because they are secular by comparing it to Americans, the majority of whom are religious.

    What you were doing is trying to start an unnecessary and off topic argument.

    You may think that I need to "cool off" for tonight, but what you really need to do is just cool off in general.

  10. #10
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    If the Iraqi people like America so much, how come they just voted in the only candidate on the ballot who was more Anti-American than the last one. :-x
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  11. #11
    Originally posted by Xshare
    If the Iraqi people like America so much, how come they just voted in the only candidate on the ballot who was more Anti-American than the last one. :-x
    Maybe a geography and history lesson (and current affairs" lesson is due for you?
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  12. #12
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    My mother is Iranian, and she used to tell me about the days before the revolution. How Iran used to be such a nice place. Low unemployment, loads of high paid jobs. Surgeons, lawyers etc. all went to Iran seeking jobs. When the running of the country wasn't based on religion but based on what it should be.

    My father went to Iran to work as a surgeon. For someone that now hates Iran, he had some pretty good things to say about it before the revolution. Great pay, great people...great life.

    After the revolution, everything got messed up. My family left Iran as soon as the revolution happened. And I'm really thankful they did. My fathers friends that stayed..now they are earning £200 a month. 6 - 7 years devoted to medical education...now earning less than someone working in McDonalds.

    The young people of Iran..the ones with sense..they aren't anti american. To be honest, they don't really care much for America. However, the freedom America and such countries have, is something the good Iranians admire (probably the educated ones).

    As someone that visits Iran almost every year, its a beautiful country. Just a bad government and very stupid, uneducated traditional religion fanatics. When the Iranian students protested against the government, those same stupid people stormed into student dorm rooms and threw the students out windows - killing them.

    And just very quickly...it was the American CIA that helped put the current government in place and helped out with the revolution...refused refuge to the Shah after the revolution, and France that gave refuge the main leader (can't spell his name). America learnt it's mistake very shortly after when it took the embassy hostage.

  13. #13
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    Originally posted by SniperDevil
    Are you secular? Is secularism necessarily good? I'm not inputting my biases here; I'm just asking a question. However, I don't know how you can put "good" and "secular" together when the majority of Americans are somewhat religious; are they not good?
    Am I secular? Nope. Is a secular government in Iran good (for the U.S.) ? Yes. That's all I was saying, is that for the U.S., a secular Iran (and government) would be good for the U.S., the middle east, and Israel.

  14. #14
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    Originally posted by sailor
    somehow I am skeptical of this statement and the article in light of the results of the recent election.
    The election was all corrupt - the people of Iran's votes did not count, it was all on the ayatollahs.

    The way things are in Iran at this time if there was a proper election where upstanding candidates ran, who chose to rule the country in a secular fashion, they would be the individuals getting all the votes.

    In all honesty it is time for a monarchy to come back to Iran and it is going to happen, I will bet everything on it. Once these ayatollahs are taken out of power, Iran will be allowed to prosper.

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