4 ms·

To the Iranians, America is "The Great Satan". To the Americans, Iranians are "Terrorists". To a bystander they're both deranged warmongers using transparent

by vrganj 7mo ago

To the Iranians, America is "The Great Satan". To the Americans, Iranians are "Terrorists". To a bystander they're both deranged warmongers using transparent excuses.

BobbyJo 7mo ago
There is plenty of evidence Iran funds terrorism. I don't know of any evidence that Americans are biblical monsters, but I'm open to new information.
- vrganj 7mo ago
  "Terrorism" is inherently a subjective, ideological label, just a vaguely threatening name for the Big Other. A classic in the genre, along with "Red Menace", "Yellow Peril", "Rogue State" etc etc. The Iranian version of this propaganda technique is the "Great Satan". They're all just big scary terms to throw around and justify ones deeds. To the Iranians, the Americans are the terrorists blowing up their bridges. Now what?
  - BobbyJo 7mo ago
    > "Terrorism" is inherently a subjective, ideological label If the US started calling Iran "Satan" would you see that as an escalation of rhetoric, or business as usual?
    - vrganj 7mo ago
      Business as usual. It's all just scary terms to dehumanize. No different from "Yellow Peril".
      - BobbyJo 7mo ago
        Fair enough. If you think terrorist and satan have equal grounding in reality then we'll just have to chalk the disagreement up to a difference in priors.
- Hikikomori 7mo ago
  Terrorism or resistance against western imperialism and colonization?
  - BobbyJo 7mo ago
    That is a question one could ask. A little beyond me to answer.