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> as non-US, I would always choose such a wonderful and welcoming country and great people over police state of US these days The US certainly has many issues,

> as non-US, I would always choose such a wonderful and welcoming country and great people over police state of US these days The US certainly has many issues, but I find calling it a "Police State", while praising the Islamic Republic of Iran in the same sentence quite ironic.

wavefunction 9y ago
Heavily militarized SWAT vs mongrel basijis. Sadly few are truly free from the heavy hand of authoritarianism.
njharman 9y ago
Then educate thyself. Besides all the anedotal evidence of police militirazation, violence, the USA has THE largest prison population in the world and almost the highest % of population in prison, #2 (after seychelles) with 693 per 100k. Iran is way down list at #37 with 287. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera... Also, the way Iran is today (i.e. not the progressive democratic country it was) is due to the UK/USA replacing elected government with a religious autocrat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9ta...
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- mason240 9y ago
  I suppose if the US simply executed criminals at the rate Iran does, we would have a lower population as well. We could also lower the number of people incarnated if we had public lashings instead, as Iran does. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Iran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Iran
  - dmix 9y ago
    > We could also lower the number of people incarnated if we had public lashings instead, as Iran does. And hanging people from cranes in public squares...
WilliamDhalgren 9y ago
> The US certainly has many issues, but I find calling it a "Police State", while praising the Islamic Republic of Iran in the same sentence quite ironic. you mean, praising it as a tourist destination? How's that even controversial? Iran is an absolutely enchanting place to visit. Now, agreed that calling the US a "police state .. these days" is still quite an exaggeration, but notice the context - the absolutely shocking, police-state-like US visa policy, mentioned in the prior sentence! You only have to weaken the premise a bit to make it a perfectly sensible claim (and perhaps a bit of rethorical hyperbole is excusable?) : If the authoritarian behavior of the US government forces one to chose between visiting a place as beautiful as Iran, and visiting the US, surely that's an easy choice!
- saiya-jin 9y ago
  Indeed that's what I meant, perspective of a tourist, sorry for not being clear. I have no need to look for work in US, Switzerland provides superior environment to me. No business travels there either. It's a shame really, since both countries have a lot to offer for tourists, but for me personally, the choice is clear. And yes, for an european, even back in 2004 when I visited US for 3 months on work&travel, it felt very much like a police state. I presume according to all I've ever read/heard situation got only worse since then.

wavefunction 9y ago

Heavily militarized SWAT vs mongrel basijis. Sadly few are truly free from the heavy hand of authoritarianism.

njharman 9y ago

Then educate thyself. Besides all the anedotal evidence of police militirazation, violence, the USA has THE largest prison population in the world and almost the highest % of population in prison, #2 (after seychelles) with 693 per 100k. Iran is way down list at #37 with 287. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarceration_rate https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_incarcera... Also, the way Iran is today (i.e. not the progressive democratic country it was) is due to the UK/USA replacing elected government with a religious autocrat. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9ta...

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
mason240 9y ago
I suppose if the US simply executed criminals at the rate Iran does, we would have a lower population as well. We could also lower the number of people incarnated if we had public lashings instead, as Iran does. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Iran https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_in_Iran
- dmix 9y ago
  > We could also lower the number of people incarnated if we had public lashings instead, as Iran does. And hanging people from cranes in public squares...

WilliamDhalgren 9y ago

> The US certainly has many issues, but I find calling it a "Police State", while praising the Islamic Republic of Iran in the same sentence quite ironic. you mean, praising it as a tourist destination? How's that even controversial? Iran is an absolutely enchanting place to visit. Now, agreed that calling the US a "police state .. these days" is still quite an exaggeration, but notice the context - the absolutely shocking, police-state-like US visa policy, mentioned in the prior sentence! You only have to weaken the premise a bit to make it a perfectly sensible claim (and perhaps a bit of rethorical hyperbole is excusable?) : If the authoritarian behavior of the US government forces one to chose between visiting a place as beautiful as Iran, and visiting the US, surely that's an easy choice!

saiya-jin 9y ago
Indeed that's what I meant, perspective of a tourist, sorry for not being clear. I have no need to look for work in US, Switzerland provides superior environment to me. No business travels there either. It's a shame really, since both countries have a lot to offer for tourists, but for me personally, the choice is clear. And yes, for an european, even back in 2004 when I visited US for 3 months on work&travel, it felt very much like a police state. I presume according to all I've ever read/heard situation got only worse since then.