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There is much more equivalency between a dissent crushing nation like Iran, and the tactics big-corp have been utilizing to crush dissenting opinions. You can

by ath3nd 1y ago

There is much more equivalency between a dissent crushing nation like Iran, and the tactics big-corp have been utilizing to crush dissenting opinions. You can definitely go in jail for going against big oil: For example, environmental lawyer Steven Donzinger was placed under arrest for exposing the crimes against the planet of big oil: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/environmental-lawyer-under-house-arrest https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/environmental-lawy... You can also be financially ruined: https://climatebase.org/blog/greenpeace-slapped-by-big-oil-suit https://climatebase.org/blog/greenpeace-slapped-by-big-oil-s... You, a scientist, can also be deported for your views if they don't align with the state's false narrative: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/11/mahmoud-khalil-deportation-ruling-immigration https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/11/mahmoud-khal... You can even get some death threats for doing your job by debunking disinformation: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/03/anthony-fauci-covid-19-threats-harassment https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jun/03/anth... I'd say it's pretty good whataboutism, the parallels are more than enough. Iran was a progressive country with flourishing science before nationalistic/religious fundamentalists took over, sadly the US taking its first steps on the same path.

veidr 1y ago
Yeah, Iran was a more proimising country before cultists took over... and, um, so was the US. OK, you may have found a point of commonality in our opinions. The US isn't yet as far down that road, but... yeah. It's catching up quickly. But the present debate started with the false equivalence between science in "free countries" being influenced by various corporate and political interests, vs being influenced by theocratic dictatorship inclided towards torture and murder. That the US is becoming increasingly more like Iran doesn't negate that, it just makes the US not the right example to demonstrate the point.

by ath3nd 1y ago

veidr 1y ago

Yeah, Iran was a more proimising country before cultists took over... and, um, so was the US. OK, you may have found a point of commonality in our opinions. The US isn't yet as far down that road, but... yeah. It's catching up quickly. But the present debate started with the false equivalence between science in "free countries" being influenced by various corporate and political interests, vs being influenced by theocratic dictatorship inclided towards torture and murder. That the US is becoming increasingly more like Iran doesn't negate that, it just makes the US not the right example to demonstrate the point.