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[nanomage]

Having double exchange rate, calling for "destruction of the Zionist regime", having Ayatolla Ali Khomeini as a lifelong leader of the state are all unreasonable things which speak very clearly of the nature of state in question. Unsurprisingly, they go hand-in-hand with hating the USA.

You mean to say, there's no reason at all for Iran to, uh, show restrained affection towards the US other than their leadership being crazy bananas?

It's their leadership being a band of religious fanatics who rob their people both politically and economically and preach "anti-Zionist" and anti-American propaganda everywhere, blaming the west for all country's problems of which they themselves are the cause. Yes, no other reason.

[Il Palazzo]

Yes, no other reason.

What do you know about the history of Iran-US relations? In the past 50 years, to narrow the scope.

ed: ah, we need to go back 60 years it seems.

[Sergarr]

Last time I checked, US has alienated Iran by supporting Saddam's Iraq (who was once a US foreign ally #1) in his incredibly bloody and prolonged war against Iran.

Also US has harassed Iran's ships repeatedly, including sinking quite a few of them. For no good reason except for "they looked suspicious".

nanomage, are you sure you haven't been influenced by somebody in making that evaluation? Because you have to know basically nothing about the Iran-US relationships and the Levant region history to come to your conclusion.

[Il Palazzo]

Hey, you forgot the coup and the Shah's rule. The Iraqi invasion happened only after he was finally ousted.

[Sergarr]

Well, of course because they're anti-Zionist, it's all actually their fault! [/sarcasm]

[Ukrainian Ranger]

What is your definition of Zionism?

[Sergarr]

I don't know, and that's why I used [/sarcasm]. I just copied what nanomage said.

[Sheb]

I think nanomage just mix up Iran and Saudi Arabia.

[smjjames]

I don't know, and that's why I used [/sarcasm]. I just copied what nanomage said.

I don't know what the definition is supposed to be either because sometimes it's applied to all jews and sometimes only to some, and sometimes seems to be applied only to the Israeli government.

Seems sort of like calling people you don't like, fascists.

[burningpet]

Yeah, what Helgoland said. Sure, Iran is a theocracy, but it's stable, relatively democratic (More so than most of the middle-east, including quite a few western allies) and moderate. And with Ammadinejad out, I don't see why they shouldn't be an ally.

Its relatively democratic so long as the ayatollah backed candidate wins, and even at that, its only relatively democratic because they get to choose between the various candidates the ayatollah approved in the first place. i'd say its as relatively democratic as syria is relatively democratic which means its more relatively not democratic than relatively democratic, which actually means it isn't democratic at all.

[mainiac]

I don't have a scientific measurement but I think Iran is a little more democratic then Syria.  Syria is very autocratic indeed.  Iran did concede some power to an opposition candidate even though they kept him on a tight leash.

[Sergarr]

Anyway, isn't the current discussion kinda off-topic? Aren't there any news on the European front?

[Sheb]

It's relatively democratic as in "relative to other countries in the region". If you need to back someone, I'd rather back Iran than Saudi Arabia.

[Descan]

For instance: Does Iran behead people?

(I'm actually serious, do they?)

[LordSlowpoke]

last time iran beheaded someone was 2003, and that was the first time in a long long while, as far as my sources say at least

meanwhile saudi arabia beheaded an iranian this month

such cases