This is not even close to true. In fact many prominent Iranian reformers and dissidents are condemning the war, they don't want to see their countrymen attacked or blown apart no matter how polarized the country is. The exact same thing happened in Pakistan during the recent war with India, even though at least half the country identified more with Imran Khan and opposed military dictatorship. It's classic rally around the flag effect and predictable. But if someone couldn't learn from these same lies in 2003, what can I say? Some people want to believe.
From Ash1952- Iranians in the Netherlands march in support of Israel and call for the destruction of the Islamic regime. Not a single woman in hijab or burqa, no one is masked, and no violence. These are real refugees who fled a brutal Islamist dictatorship. Unlike fake refugees, they actually want to go back to their homeland!
Interventionist regime change does not work, not for long. Regimes must change by the people for the people to be lasting. This is not the first time we have meddled with the Iranian internal politics.
Sorry Zaid, I have great respect for you and usually I enjoy reading your thought provoking pieces. But I must fully disagree with this article and it was incoherent and hard to follow at times. First you start by talking about how Trump has betrayed his base and right-wing populism. Then all of a sudden, you switch gears and launch into a rant about the Israel-Iran Conflict. What do the two have to do with each other? To be fair, you did try to make an attempt to connect the two but it missed the mark and still didn’t quite work.
I don’t think right-wing populism is going anywhere. The MAGA Movement whatever it’s internal disagreements appears to be going strong while the establishment of the party is running scared and the left is fragmented and fighting amongst itself. The examples you gave respectfully, don’t work. As to taxes, both establishment and populist Republicans are in agreement on tax cuts. On immigration, Trump and Tom Homan are deporting as many people as he can with what limited resources they have. There are twenty million illegal immigrants in this country, they can’t possibly in the blink of an eye deport them all and won’t be able to period.
I’m glad President Trump is talking about possibly softening the deportations. I think the farming and hospitality industries and in turn our economy really need those illegal immigrant workers as due to the low national birth rate, we don’t have the population to make up for that labor shortage. It’s not “windrow dressing” so much as it is President Trump being pragmatic and doing what’s best for the country. We also need to keep in mind that politics is the art of the compromise, you get what you can get while you can get it. Furthermore, all Presidents must grapple with balancing serving their base and serving the American people. Sometimes they have to make tough decisions or compromises that’s what Presidents have to do. It is unrealistic to expect them to accomplish everything you hope they will even in two terms.
Israel is FAR from being a “relatively-minor” state. That comes off as an immature and childish shot at a whole nation of millions of people for no reason other than spite. Israel is a regional power with the best army in the Middle East and nuclear weapons. They are would leaders in science, medicine, technology, water, agriculture, and protecting the environment. They are regional leaders in women’s rights, minority rights, religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and disability inclusion. The accusation we’ve “outsourced our foreign policy” to them is with all due respect, Zaid, ridiculous. Also, while I too am no fan of Benjamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government, he is no war criminal.
You comparison of the Trump foreign policy to Bush or Cheney’s is also total nonsense. Bush and Cheney would never have pushed the Western Europeans to pay more into NATO, withdrew U.S. troops from Africa, closed down USAID and the NED, declared us out of the business of regime change, talked about negotiating with Iran, or initiated peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Nor would they have made peace between India and Pakistan as he did.
I don’t buy that Iran decided not develop a nuclear weapon 20 years ago or that they would need a long time to develop one. I’d have to see that confirmed by multiple sources and extensively verified before I’d believe that. I also don’t see any parallels here with Iraq. You seem to be very angry in writing this article, Zaid which I can well understand. It’s tragic that Iranian civilians have lost their lives in the current skirmishes between Israel and Iran. But keep in mind two things: 1) Israel did not kill them on purpose. 2) Israel and the United States sent out warnings to the people of Iran to evacuate. Also, don’t forget Iran IS purposely targeting Israeli civilians and killing them. I don’t see any mention of that fact in your article. Your accusation of a vast Zionist conspiracy also is total nonsense. At the end of the day, I’m praying for peace between the two countries, that God watch over and protect the peoples of Israel and Iran and that Iran’s nuclear program is dismantled for good.
Iranians all over the world are rooting for us to get involved. They are tired of living under an evil dictatorship.
This is not even close to true. In fact many prominent Iranian reformers and dissidents are condemning the war, they don't want to see their countrymen attacked or blown apart no matter how polarized the country is. The exact same thing happened in Pakistan during the recent war with India, even though at least half the country identified more with Imran Khan and opposed military dictatorship. It's classic rally around the flag effect and predictable. But if someone couldn't learn from these same lies in 2003, what can I say? Some people want to believe.
From Ash1952- Iranians in the Netherlands march in support of Israel and call for the destruction of the Islamic regime. Not a single woman in hijab or burqa, no one is masked, and no violence. These are real refugees who fled a brutal Islamist dictatorship. Unlike fake refugees, they actually want to go back to their homeland!
https://x.com/realMaalouf/status/1934583902405878227
And? Is every ill in the world the responsibility of the U.S. to address?
MAGA coalition risks a break up if Trump takes US military on the offensive inside Iran. It will be his ‘no new taxes’ moment.
Interventionist regime change does not work, not for long. Regimes must change by the people for the people to be lasting. This is not the first time we have meddled with the Iranian internal politics.
I remember hearing this same bs about Iraqis.
I, personally, will shed no tears for the demise of the Iranian regime.
But should Americans die to make that happen? I’m getting 2003 Deja Vu all over again.
No. We should have no involvement other than to support Israel.
🌮🌮🌮
Sorry Zaid, I have great respect for you and usually I enjoy reading your thought provoking pieces. But I must fully disagree with this article and it was incoherent and hard to follow at times. First you start by talking about how Trump has betrayed his base and right-wing populism. Then all of a sudden, you switch gears and launch into a rant about the Israel-Iran Conflict. What do the two have to do with each other? To be fair, you did try to make an attempt to connect the two but it missed the mark and still didn’t quite work.
I don’t think right-wing populism is going anywhere. The MAGA Movement whatever it’s internal disagreements appears to be going strong while the establishment of the party is running scared and the left is fragmented and fighting amongst itself. The examples you gave respectfully, don’t work. As to taxes, both establishment and populist Republicans are in agreement on tax cuts. On immigration, Trump and Tom Homan are deporting as many people as he can with what limited resources they have. There are twenty million illegal immigrants in this country, they can’t possibly in the blink of an eye deport them all and won’t be able to period.
I’m glad President Trump is talking about possibly softening the deportations. I think the farming and hospitality industries and in turn our economy really need those illegal immigrant workers as due to the low national birth rate, we don’t have the population to make up for that labor shortage. It’s not “windrow dressing” so much as it is President Trump being pragmatic and doing what’s best for the country. We also need to keep in mind that politics is the art of the compromise, you get what you can get while you can get it. Furthermore, all Presidents must grapple with balancing serving their base and serving the American people. Sometimes they have to make tough decisions or compromises that’s what Presidents have to do. It is unrealistic to expect them to accomplish everything you hope they will even in two terms.
Israel is FAR from being a “relatively-minor” state. That comes off as an immature and childish shot at a whole nation of millions of people for no reason other than spite. Israel is a regional power with the best army in the Middle East and nuclear weapons. They are would leaders in science, medicine, technology, water, agriculture, and protecting the environment. They are regional leaders in women’s rights, minority rights, religious freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, and disability inclusion. The accusation we’ve “outsourced our foreign policy” to them is with all due respect, Zaid, ridiculous. Also, while I too am no fan of Benjamin Netanyahu and the current Israeli government, he is no war criminal.
You comparison of the Trump foreign policy to Bush or Cheney’s is also total nonsense. Bush and Cheney would never have pushed the Western Europeans to pay more into NATO, withdrew U.S. troops from Africa, closed down USAID and the NED, declared us out of the business of regime change, talked about negotiating with Iran, or initiated peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Nor would they have made peace between India and Pakistan as he did.
I don’t buy that Iran decided not develop a nuclear weapon 20 years ago or that they would need a long time to develop one. I’d have to see that confirmed by multiple sources and extensively verified before I’d believe that. I also don’t see any parallels here with Iraq. You seem to be very angry in writing this article, Zaid which I can well understand. It’s tragic that Iranian civilians have lost their lives in the current skirmishes between Israel and Iran. But keep in mind two things: 1) Israel did not kill them on purpose. 2) Israel and the United States sent out warnings to the people of Iran to evacuate. Also, don’t forget Iran IS purposely targeting Israeli civilians and killing them. I don’t see any mention of that fact in your article. Your accusation of a vast Zionist conspiracy also is total nonsense. At the end of the day, I’m praying for peace between the two countries, that God watch over and protect the peoples of Israel and Iran and that Iran’s nuclear program is dismantled for good.
So you have given in to the big conspiracy too? The Zionists are the grandmasters of all? GTFOOH.
Well said. You sound angry, I am angry and we are not alone. We did not vote for more frivolous wars such as this one. We should stay out of it.