Suprisingly it's not the JOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!
eridani (46,039 posts) http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027093366
Who’s the Real Troublemaker in the Middle East?
http://www.commondreams.org/views/2015/08/19/whos-real-troublemaker-middle-east
Except for maybe the Affordable Care Act, nothing gets Republican politicians fired up like Iran.
In the first GOP debate alone, Scott Walker promised that he’d tear up the Iran nuclear deal on day one of his presidency. Carly Fiorina blamed the country for “most of the evil that is going on in the Middle East.†Mike Huckabee vowed to topple the “terrorist Iranian regime and defeat the evil forces of radical Islam.â€
Oddly, when the candidates complain about the “evil forces of radical Islam†or trouble in the Middle East, they never seem to mention Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s no democratic paradise. But on many counts, Washington’s Saudi allies are even worse. The Saudi royals crush dissent with an iron fist, spread extremist ideology, and invade their neighbors with impunity.
Domestically, the Saudi regime oppresses women, religious minorities, and millions of foreign workers. And it brutally represses criticism from human rights activists, prompting condemnation from both Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi, for example, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes just for writing a blog the government considered critical of its rule. Hundreds of political prisoners languish in prison — including Badawi’s lawyer, who was sentenced to 15 years for his role as a human rights attorney. New legislation effectively equates criticism of the government and other peaceful activities with terrorism.
Saudi women aren’t permitted to appear in public without adhering to a strict dress code. They need the approval of a male guardian to marry, travel, enroll in a university, or obtain a passport, and they’re prohibited from driving.
eh...
When DU start protesting radical Islam, from any quarter, then I will pay attention to their whining.
madokie (44,498 posts)
1. Saudi Arabia no doubt
Trust them at your own peril.
I could name another country that causes a lot of stress but for the wish to not hijack this thread I'll keep that to myself.
Iran has every reason to not trust the USA after some of the shit our CIA has pulled in their country since ww2
I say we leave each of them to their own ways and get the **** out of the region but knowing full well that would be near impossible to do in todays world.
yes yes yes... America bad. We get it.
Syzygy321 (307 posts)
3. That's my take too.
Iran does cause some trouble: their constant threat to obliterate the 7 or 8 million citizens of Israel (and military support to Hezbollah) does plenty to provoke Israel, understandably, into keeping an aggressive posture.
And if they weren't supporting Assad/Hezbollah, the war in Syria might have been long over (but fallen to Nusra and ISIS, which is hardly an improvement.)
Other than that, isnt it Saudi fundamentalism - and the money backing it - that's dragging large swaths of the Muslim world into hell?
Its the conflict between Sunni (Saudi Arabia) and Shi'i (Iran) that is the cause of most of the strife in the M.E. Once they are done with killing each other it will be our turn.
eridani (46,039 posts)
4. What bullshit. Iran has no chance to "obliterate" a country with 200+ nukes
Hezbollah is a political party that Israel created when it invaded Lebanon in 1980. Seats in parliament, TV station (which shows Sunday Mass for the benefit of its Christian coalition members), the works.
Don't mind those pesky rockets Hezbollah fires all the time. Thats just a friendly gesture.
Syzygy321 (307 posts)
5. The fact that they make the threat - constantly -
is a destabilizing factor in the region. Obviously.
And Israel doesn't have X number of nukes because its neighbors are such a friendly and live-and-let-live bunch. There's this cause-and-effect, chicken-and-egg thing, see.
If you want to see the world from a narrow viewpoint that's your business. I won't engage you further, excepr to note that Iran pulled a Tiannemen on its citizens a few years back, and regularly hoists gays up on cranes by the neck - whereas Israel has vocal political dissent and gay pride parades.
Now, please continue...
That won't sit well with the DUmpmonkiez. They hate Israel with a passion.
eridani (46,039 posts)
21. Hamas and Hezbollah are political parties created by Israel. The funded Hamas in order to divide Palestinians supporting the secular PLO with a religious party. Hezbollah would not exist if Israel hadn't invaded Lebanon in 1980. You can't get blown up in Lebanon if you don't have a military presence there. Stop being an imperial power, and a lot of hassles magically disappear. If you're so hot for empire, why don't you fund it with bake sales and leave the rest of us out of it?
eridani (46,039 posts)
25. Iran didn't blow up anyone
And it wouldn't have happened if Israel and the US hadn't insisted on invading. How many people have we killed in the ME lately?
eridani (46,039 posts)
28. Stop with the "jihad" bullshit. Hamas and Hezbollah are domestic political parties.
The real jihadists are from Saudi Arabia and UAE. (Remember the nationalities of all but one of the 9/11 hijackers?) Don't insist on dominating other countries, and you don't get blown up. Iran had a secular democracy in 1953. The religious fruitcakes turned out to be the only alternative to the Shah's brutal Savak. Without US and British intervention, Iran might well be a secular democracy today.
For your perusal--the Tehran spontaneous memorial to 9/11 victims. Why don't you see if you can dig up some similar pictures from the Saudis?
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=44b_1359356589
Iran... The best friend America ever wanted.
Star Member eridani (46,039 posts)
22. I don't have a problem with resistance to US and Israeli imperialism
I suspect your major problem with Iran is that it isn't under our imperial bootheel
Syzygy321 (307 posts)
11. Hell, I'll bite -If the US had never done its superpower string-pulling and invading stuff, what would the middle east look like now?
Ichingcarpenter (34,497 posts)
32. NY times: Sale of U.S. Arms Fuels the Wars of Arab States
Yup. The greatest troublemakers in the middle east are the USA and Israel. You've heard it from DU. You can bank it.