|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 6:54:51 GMT -5
www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-18/barak-says-iran-sanctions-have-further-to-go-before-military-hit.htmlI don't think anyone can really understand what it feels like to pay $2 for a pack of cigs one day, and then a week later its $4. (Yes, another 50 cent increase in the past two days.) The price of all imported goods have doubled in Iran over the past couple of weeks. What this really means is that an American tourist would have paid ~$15 dollars for a pound of high quality beef here two weeks ago. Today, they can buy it for $7 dollars. It is now very cheap for foreign countries to buy Iranian goods, while it is extremely expensive for Iran to buy foreign goods. I believe this means Iran is increasingly forced to make use of domestic products. I can actually 'see' the pressure that is mounting on Iran and Iranians all around me. And it makes me feel strangely excited. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the fact that I now have to pay double for pretty much everything. But I believe I know what the result of this kind of pressure will be. And it's quite exciting. Iran is now "evolving" under the harshest conditions imaginable for a civilized nation in the 21st century. The whole country is oppressed to a staggering degree. I see extreme hardship whether one is a politician or a peon. I see the birth of warriors; fierce creatures.. angry and defiant. I see them soaring under extreme pressure. I have to say, the US and the Zionists have no idea what they are doing. If I were them, I would have tried to make Iranians lazy and corrupt. But they are actually turning Iran into a nation of warrior-mentality down to the very last individual. I have to say, I'm really enjoying watching all this happen around me.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 7:06:25 GMT -5
Consider this.
1,000 Iranian tomans was roughly equivalent to 1 US dollar a few weeks ago.
Today, approximately 2,000 Iranian tomans will buy 1 US dollar on the street.
Consider what this has done to the economy of Iran. Consider what it could do in the long term.
It's simply mind-boggling I think.
You see, a pack of cigs used to be ~2000 tomans ie. $2. Now it's ~4000 tomans ie. still $2 But not really!
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 8:02:36 GMT -5
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17083791What is Iran doing? Who the hell knows. It's fascinating though that the Israelis consider Iran's presence in the Mediterranean "a provocation" and "a threat" whereas US presence in the Persian gulf (ie. inside Iranian territorial waters, less than half a mile from Iran's coast) is America's right! Hah!
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 9:24:52 GMT -5
I believe modern Iran is a very ethnically and racially diverse country.
I believe a general western misconception today is that Iranians are brown. This isn't very accurate IMO. I would say that the white to brown ratio is pretty much 1-1 in Iran.
Many Iranians are white-skinned, with blonde to light-brown hair and either brown, blue or green eyes. But I personally don't think they look anything like northern Europeans; they aren't as pale-white and ash blonde as the Swedes for example.
There's also native black people in the south of Iran. And they've been there for a long time; their ancestors emigrated to Persia a thousand years ago I think.
Then, you have a whole spectrum of shades of brown between the two. The darker coloured people in Iran either have black hair and black eyes, signifying a distinct racial group, or they have brown/blue/green eyes which to me implies intermarriage between the original lighter and darker people.
Then there's really just endless combinations of skin/eye/hair color.
In Iran there is a large Jewish population. I would estimate that there could be anywhere near 100,000 Jews living in Iran today. They have their own communities and are free to worship and congregate as they please. The Jews in Iran are here now even though they could move to Israel if they wanted to. Some of the Jewish lines in Iran apparently have traced back their lineages to before Cyrus of Persia captured Babylon. (ie. they believe their original ancestors fled from Babylon to the heartland of ancient Persia or Media, as refugees. But then, after their homeland was freed they chose to stay in Iran.) So, these guys have been here for at least 2500 years.
Then there's the Zoroastrian population of Iran. They still speak the pre-Arabic language of Iran. Their language is descended from the Old Avestan language and the Old Persian language. These Zoroastrians are people who refused to accept Islam in the days of the Arab conquest, and still refuse to do so. Their numbers in Iran are bigger than the Jews. Some cities, like Yazd, and some neighborhoods in Tehran have a very dense and large Zarthushti population. The Zoroastrians refuse to intermarry with Muslims and they have their own communities and churches, and they speak their own language that is incomprehensible to other Iranians.
Iran has a large population of Christians. The majority of Christians in Iran are called "Armenians." These Armenians are a native ethnic group of Iran, as in their ancestors were living in Iran a thousand years ago, and they stayed in Iran even after the modern country of "Armenia" was split up from Persia. These guys also have their own language and their own churches. They also do not intermarry with non-Christians.
There are also devil-worshippers in Iran. And no one hunts them down. They are free to worship Satan as long as they keep it to themselves.
I happen to know that some men and women in Iran are ayahuasca-drinking teotl-worshippers. And they are seemingly free to drink and worship.
Iran has an enormous Afghan population too; and an Arab population. Whole regions of Iran are populated by native Iranian Turks, and Kurds. The Kurds are IMO the most nationalistic, patriotic Iran-loving people in all of Iran. The Turks, Kurds and the Arabs all speak their own languages. The Afghans speak a form of modern Farsi that Persians can understand, but their pronounciations and accents are different. The Afghans have mongoloid (no offense) characteristics. They are obviously descended from a mixed population of Eastern Persians and Mongols I believe.
Iran also has a Baluch population. A Gilaki and Mazani population. A Turkmen population too. (different than the Azeri Turks; think Turkmenistan) There's really so many people with different race, culture and language in Iran that people are actually studying and researching the subject in universities in Tehran.
I would say that incidentally racism is quite rare in this country where pretty much everyone looks different, acts different and even speaks a different language.
I think the reason for Iran's enormous diversity today is because not too long ago Persia (whose heartland is still intact today as Iran) was the "United States of America" of the time. Everyone from everywhere used to flock to Iran for education and for healthcare or for a better life in general. People would choose to live in Iran because of the superior justice system and because the roads were always safe, etc. etc.
I think Iran is definitely on its way to achieving some of its former glory.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 9:47:08 GMT -5
And I forgot to mention the Lurs. The Lur men are really huge. It's in their genes. The average height is 6 feet I think and it's common to see men over 7 feet among the Lur population. These people have a lot of blondes and blue eyes. They are famous for being very hospitable, extremely talkative and high-spirited and also as pranksters.
If you ever find yourself in a Lur's house and they want you to meet their daughter, you run the hell away.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 9:58:03 GMT -5
And while the fact is that the US is still trying to divide Iran up (think Korea, Sudan) I personally believe Iran is very close to annexing Afghanistan and Iraq, without the Iraqis and Afghanis even noticing it really.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 18, 2012 10:24:56 GMT -5
All kidding aside, you guys should see all the beautiful women in Iran. I mean for ugly people like myself, just walking in Tehran is like torture really. And these women take the concept of "finding a suitable mate" to the extreme IMO. I see women whose sparkly jewelry or clothes that they're wearing are worth more than my life savings.
And I think the fact that there's like no Iranian porn on the net at all, is really creepy.
|
|
|
Post by karlsie on Feb 19, 2012 4:20:44 GMT -5
Asi, this is how the corporates conduct their wars, from within, through the economy. Your country has something they want; oil; and they will get it by any means possible. They let a country become accustomed to enticing goods and services, comfortable life styles, then they pull the rug out when they feel you are hooked and will do anything to keep your lives comfortable.
In all honesty, i believe the best thing Iran can do is to unite with the Eastern countries whose backs have been forced against the wall by NATO. There is no fair trade when the values of goods and services are being manipulated, and NATO is the great manipulator, pumping up the dollar and Euro-dollar, rolling out loans then squashing countries through International Monetary Debt, devaluing one country's resources while cashing in on another... NATO wants war because if they can't find enough reasons to make Western citizens go to war with the East, they will have to face the untidy civil wars on their home front.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 19, 2012 6:32:18 GMT -5
You might be oversimplifying it a bit karlsie. Here's some facts. Right after the Islamic revolution a US dollar was equal to 7 Iranian tomans. This figure increased gradually over ~30 years to 800 tomans. It went up further to reach the 1000 mark in the past few years. And now after a big leap it's at 2000. It seems the latest round of sanctions against Iran include an embargo on oil and a blacklisting of Iran's central bank. The US has promised to penalize any man or company that does business with Iran. (See www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-16/california-man-pleads-guilty-to-exporting-computers-to-iran-through-dubai.html - How pathetic!) So, to say it simply, at this point many countries are forbidden from buying Iranian oil (and other products) and those countries that still buy Iran's crude have no way to pay for it. I have read a number of analysts state that the Islamic regime in Iran seems to, and I quote, "thrive on isolation." I don't know if you are aware or not, but right after Iraq attacked Iran in the 80s, Saudi Arabia vastly increased its oil output and the price of crude decreased to a ridiculously low price. This maneuver was meant to inhibit Iran's revenues at a time of war. You see, many analysts worldwide are simply baffled by how Iran has not only survived these past 30 years, but worked its way up to becoming a completely developed nation. Many analysts will tell you that the Islamic revolution of Iran was a one of a kind event in human history. The US of course doesn't allow these ideas to seep into the mainstream, but I assure you, if you do some research on the subject yourself, you will find it unbelievable that the Islamic revolution should have occured at all, let alone be where it is now. In any case, these sanctions and economic isolation is nothing new to Iranian politicians. They've been working around them for over 30 years and they are pros at it by now. Trust me, there are no riots breaking out in Iran as of yet. But this coin has another side. The world economy can only flourish if there is a free unobstructed flow of energy. This means that all of the world's resources and markets must be linked, otherwise 'energetic' blockages occur that inhibit the growth of the entire world market. The US is taking a tremendous risk by isolating a country like Iran, who holds so much oil, gas, copper, etc. etc. You see, I think it's rather clear to Iranian politicians that the financial crisis in Europe and the US today is solely the result of a blockage in the free flow of energy in the world's economic system. And I believe while Iran has proven that it can survive the toughest conditions imaginable (think Iran-Iraq war; study the subject and you will see that by all rational calculations Iran should have been wiped off the map) yet in the past years we have seen that the American and European economies are suffering greatly. The US doesn't "like" the oil embargo on Iran or any of the other sanctions either. The US doesn't like blacklisting Iran's central bank, because all these moves put a strain on the US economy IMO. This is why the US has waited so long to take these steps; they were always meant as a last resort IMO. But now, we will see that in a few months Iran will appear to be completely untouched and going full speed ahead on developing nukes just as they've been going the past years. Then you will see that the only way the US will possibly be able to clear up this blockage of the world economy is by capturing Tehran and setting up a colonialist entity to govern Iran.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 19, 2012 6:45:46 GMT -5
Just so you understand, Iran's "federal reserves" that have been accumulated over the past 30 years are enough for the whole country to just stop going to work altogether, for at least a few years.
Also, what no one will tell you about Iran is that the concept of "work" the way Europeans and Americans understand the term is absolutely meaningless in Iran.
There is no concept of industrial productivity in Iran. People get paid for doing nothing. "work" is just a sham in Iran, it's a show.
Again I believe it was Khomeini who said something like "Why should people work when we have so much oil?" This is the (secret) Iranian mentality today. People only spend time at their jobs so they can pass the time. The amount of actual work that gets done in Iranian offices is nothing compared to what people have to suffer in the US/EU.
In Iran, there just isn't any real need for "work" -- Because Iran is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources.
I'm sure many people will disagree with my views. But then again, I'm sure any European who comes to Iran for "work" will realize that no such thing even exists here.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 19, 2012 6:53:03 GMT -5
I'd say the truth is enormously different than what Americans/Europeans believe.
Europe and the US are the land of slavery and industrial productivity, where your life belongs to corporations who have pre-bought your services through loans, credit cards, etc. Everyone in the west is in debt.
By contrast, Iran is the land of chilling out and enjoying life on opium and hasheesh.
Only an insane man would fail to notice the difference.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 19, 2012 7:10:52 GMT -5
In Iran "work" is where people go to spend their day socializing with their "co-workers."
Iran's economy is not based on human labor at all.
The mentality in Iran is based on an old saying "Donkeys are made to work, not people." Today in rural areas of Iran they say "Work is for tractors, not for humans."
The general idea here is that people are meant to enjoy their existence on earth as free beings.
Ahmad, as the archetypal rural farmer, spends his days in his orchard (work place) that the government has provided him free of charge and no strings attached, not because he has to work, but because it's his passion, his love and joy. Ahmad would rather spend his days working in his orchard than doing anything else in the world.
I've mentioned to Ahmad on many occasions that his peaches are the most delicious I've ever tasted. He says it's because he feeds his trees with manure and some American chemical fertilizer. I believe it's because he focuses his love and his joy into working on his trees; and the trees in turn bear fruit that tastes like love and joy.
Of course, there are many people whose ignorance and sheer stupidity makes them believe that the west is a better place to live than Iran. They get this idea mainly from watching American movies and TV series. But the truth is, many people who left Iran in the past 30 years are now returning and spreading the message: "Don't believe what you see on TV. The west is a shithole where everyone is in debt. Be proud and happy that you live in such a wonderful free country as Iran."
|
|
|
Post by karlsie on Feb 19, 2012 19:54:30 GMT -5
Asi, i think you are beginning to understand what i mean by patriotism, which is really a pride and love for your country. There is a problem with both oil and nuclear energy. Oil is not renewable and nuclear power is dangerous. In many countries, the citizens are acutely aware of this and are making enormous efforts to turn the tide toward safer and more practical alternatives.
Alaska also has enormous oil deposits, and i don't criticize the people who want to exploit them. Until our pipeline aged so much, it rusted and began springing leaks, it had virtually no impact on the surrounding environment. Caribou graze near the pipeline. Polar bears raid the garbage cans of pipeline workers. Wolves, foxes, rabbits have absolutely no concern for the pipe running through their territory. ANWR is on land. I imagine, considering we've had forty years to upgrade our technology, a pipeline through this wilderness reserve would have very little environmental impact, yet people scream their heads off over its development while ignoring the impact of offshore drilling, which not only causes great risk to the natural ocean currents and risks to the ocean environment, but their platforms and ships frighten the marine life, chasing it away.
I don't criticize those who want to exploit our natural gas deposits, because our natural gas resources are so abundant that tapping them simply means utilizing the natural gas that rises to the surface when drilling for oil instead of putting it back into the ground. I do criticize gas frakking and the enormous risk it presents to the environment and to citizens living near a gas frakking zone.
My preference, however, for developing Alaska's resources, leans more toward hydro-electric and geothermal energy. We have all the same environmental factors as Iceland, and should be able to enjoy cheap, abundant energy in the same manner.
I feel each country, each demographic area, should concentrate on the development of all their renewable natural resources because non-renewable ones lead to an eventual break down in the economy. I'm not sure any one country is capable of producing all its domestic appetites for goods and services. Alaska can't grow cotton, but it can produce wool. It can't provide fruits and hot climate vegetables, but it can produce an enormous variety of berries, cold climate vegetables, and range fed agriculture. We have virtually no manufacturing, and are not sure we want it. But i believe the goods we have should have equal value to those we accept in trade, and i believe it should be that way for every country.
I don't believe we should have corporates and special interest politicians deciding the worth of each individual country's offers. It should reflect in the popularity in which they are received. I don't believe that corporates should monopolize our resources, unless those corporates are made up directly of the people who own them; like our Native corporate. The Native corporate uses the funds they receive through leasing their oil rich land for developing other investments, such as stocks and bonds, real estate, hospitals, housing and Native educational centers. The Native corporation provides its own attorney's, it's own health care, its own scholarship programs and signs its own foreign trade contracts. Each year, those who belong to the Native corporation receive a dividend in the excess of five thousand dollars.
There is only one problem relating to the Native corporation. Because those who belong to it are considered independently wealthy, there is an assumption that all our Native population is independently wealthy. This is not true. Only the tribes that live on oil rich land belong to the corporation; primarily the Inuit. The Inuit who remain in the villages don't see a substantial influx in their wealth because of the enormous costs of living there, and the extremely limited resources. They can only experience this boon by moving to the Cook Inlet where everything is cheaper. The tribes who are not living on oil rich land are struggling just to remain in their villages. I don't criticize the Native corporation that takes care of its own. I only see it as a model the rest of us could follow to some degree.
While examining that model, i am acutely aware of what it means to be Native Alaskan. Our effort is always to plan for the future of our children, no matter how much it pains us in the beginning. The Native Corporation did not become successful overnight. It learned through many mistakes and failures, and by learning wise investment. We are now under pressure to sell out to large mining investments. Our fishing industry is going bust. Tourism has been curtailed due to our clean water act that doesn't allow cruise ships to dump refuge within a hundred miles of our ports. The screws are being tightened on our economy that shows no real difference in the job market, but our costs of living have increased four times over in two years. Still, despite the temptations to make things easier, Native Alaskans say no to anything that will disrupt our environmental balance. We want our children to have a sustainable future.This, i feel, is what every country should be thinking about.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 20, 2012 7:38:11 GMT -5
I don't think I'm patriotic per se. I'm not even an Iranian citizen, nor do I want to be. I simply appreciate the freedom that exists over here, that was unknown to me previously. I think Iranians today take their freedoms for granted, and they believe their country is 3rd world compared to the west.
I'm one of those guys that lives off the grid. That is to say, I have no ID, no insurance or social security, no bank accounts, etc. I can tell you that in Finland, for example, there is always someone who knows exactly what you are doing. There is no way to survive off the grid in Finland, as the government actively checks up on all its citizens; they keep tabs on everyone and everything.
While this invasion of privacy might not be as overt in the US, I believe it exists all the same. The US government demands conformity and demands that its citizens stay within certain boundaries.
In Iran, no one is keeping tabs or checking up on anyone's business as far as I know. It is perfectly possible to survive in Iran without having any kind of ID. And no one in Iran is forced (directly or indirectly) to do anything really. Whereas in Finland and the US there are systems in place that actually corral people, and strays are forced back in line.
In short, while Iran might not be the ideal place for the common civilized law-abiding man who needs government control/support, I would say it is definitely the ideal place for people who can take care of themselves, and like freedom. The advantage of Iran over say African countries or South American nations (where freedom is possible) is that Iran is relatively much more rich, advanced and everything is available at a reasonable price.
And about renewable energy, I'm on board with you. I think the sun, the wind, the flow of water, etc are perfect means of deriving energy, for a utopian society. Iran, however, uses oil as a major commodity; I would say that Iran feels like a drug dealer that sells this black oily stuff to addicted countries. This is ironic as Iran also exports another kind of black tar to addicts worldwide.
But the truth is, and you can hear this from others as well, Iran is expecting the Apocalypse. The way Iran set up its economy over the past 30 years is completely irrational and the Iranian government knows this. I would say that if the end of the world doesn't come soon, Iran (and the US too for that matter) will be really fucked up.
Think of it this way. Imagine early dynastic Egypt and how the Pharaoh was surrounded by a group of "seers" who were in essence consultants on mystical, otherworldly matters. Well, according to Ahmadinejad himself, Iran's government has been working closely with a group of seers or mystics for the past few years. These seers apparently report that the end of the world as we know it is very close; we are almost there they say.
So, Iranian policy at its core is to prepare for this momentous occasion. Whether this is insanity or not, I don't know. But I do know that Iran (and the US) are showing absolutely no interest in developing renewable energy. Electric cars are even mocked and laughed at in the US today. (think Simpsons where Homer and Bart get in an electric car and the car says in a tired voice something like "I can't go very fast, or very far.. and If you drive me people will think you are gay..)
I personally think we could have solar powered cities on earth within a few years if the rich elite invested their money in it. But solar power won't make them as much money as oil, duh.
|
|
|
Post by asiaticdarkperson on Feb 20, 2012 8:56:33 GMT -5
It's funny cause there's like literally thousands of works by numerous authors that deal with subjects like the Islamic revolution of '79, the Iran-Iraq war, and generally about the path and direction that this revolution has taken, in depth. But all are in Farsi. Iran is full of books of interviews and biographies of influential characters involved in the revolution and also the war. There's plenty of books (and art in general) that talk about the goals, the ambitions and the mentality of the revolution. I think you get the idea; it's a subject that has been analyzed to near exhaustion in Iran.
I'm no academic, but many of these works are IMO masterpieces of sociopolitical history of the modern era. They don't just deal with Iran's history, but with modern imperialist and colonialist history as well. They actually document the clash of Iran and colonialism and later imperialism.
But very few of these books get translated to English. Many of them are translated to Arabic and available throughout the Arab world though.
|
|