Little reminder of why Iran doesn't like America very much.

[kentonio]

Many of them do actually quite literally hate freedom. All of the ones calling for Sharia law, for instance. That is to say, Islamists. They call it "man made laws". So when someone says Al Qaeda hates us for our freedom, they're not wrong, regardless of how tired you may find the phrase.

Do you actually know what Sharia law is?

Also, yes, as others have said everyone has always known about the US/UK coupe designed to prevent the nationalization of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company as well as to drive out the Soviet forces which were still hanging out in northern Iran even seven years after WW2 ended (during the war the USSR and the UK divided Iran in half with the Soviets taking the north and the British taking the south).

No, everyone has not always known that. Seriously now, what proportion of the US do you think actually know that the reason Iran hates America is largely down to the US overthrowing their government in a coup back in the 50's? Do you think even 1 in 10 Americans are aware of that realistically?

[giblets]

In the real world, where even Vietnam is looking to us for protection from the Chinese. How many Latin American countries did we interfere with over the past century, and how many of them have sponsored anti-American terrorism as a result?

What do you mean by anti-American terrorism? Have any countries actually sponsored terrorist attacks in the US?

[Dinner]

Do you actually know what Sharia law is?



No, everyone has not always known that. Seriously now, what proportion of the US do you think actually know that the reason Iran hates America is largely down to the US overthrowing their government in a coup back in the 50's? Do you think even 1 in 10 Americans are aware of that realistically?

I should say most people here as we've had numerous threads on this topic and it shouldn't be any surprise to any long time poster here.

[Dinner]

Speaking of terrorism Al Qaeda supposedly has come up with a real booby trap.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/18/report-heathrow-airport-alert-breast-implant-bombs/

[regexcellent]

Does there have to be one reason Iran doesn't like America or can they also hate us for other reasons, such as our support for Israel?

Iran used to be an Israeli ally and Israel was reasonably popular with the Iranian people. Iran has no bone to pick with Israel other than anti-semitism in its regime and a convenient boogeyman to blame everything on.

[rah]

No, everyone has not always known that. Seriously now, what proportion of the US do you think actually know that the reason Iran hates America is largely down to the US overthrowing their government in a coup back in the 50's? Do you think even 1 in 10 Americans are aware of that realistically?

In all honesty what percentage of Iranians are old enough to remember that happening. You may be giving that more weight than it really is.

I think we've done other things more recently that they remember.

[PLATO]

I was actually under the impression that the Iranian people as a whole had a good outlook toward the U.S. and most things Western.

Am I a victim of propaganda?

[The Mad Monk]

China, OTOH, really does hate freedom.

[kentonio]

In all honesty what percentage of Iranians are old enough to remember that happening. You may be giving that more weight than it really is.

Given what followed, I think it's safe to assume it will have been passed on through the generations.

I think we've done other things more recently that they remember.

Yeah true.

I just had a quick look for polls, and it seems in 2009 65% of Iranians were in favour of diplomatic relations with the US, although very few trusted either your president por the previous one. meanwhile 9 out of 10 Americans were unfavourable towards Iran.

[Colonâ„¢]

In all honesty what percentage of Iranians are old enough to remember that happening. You may be giving that more weight than it really is.

IIRC the majority of Iranians hasn't even experienced the revolution.

[Dauphin]

In all honesty what percentage of Iranians are old enough to remember that happening. You may be giving that more weight than it really is.

I think we've done other things more recently that they remember.

It's a well known fact that people have short memories. Groups of people, not so much. Why does the U.S. still embargo Cuba?

[PLATO]

It's a well known fact that people have short memories. Groups of people, not so much. Why does the U.S. still embargo Cuba?

Because U.S. corporations want their assets back and they are the ones who control the politicians?

[Felch]

If you think Latin American folks & countries don't hate the US, you are living in a dreamland. Hate doesn't mean they are going to engage in mass bombings, but being happy when a Chavez or Lula thumbs his nose at the US - most definitely.

I think we're using different definitions. I think of hatred as eager and willing to do violence, you seem to think of it as a bland sort of contempt and disgust.

What do you mean by anti-American terrorism? Have any countries actually sponsored terrorist attacks in the US?

Does an attack on a US embassy count as anti-American? Iran backed a suicide bombing thirty years ago.

[Felch]

[Aeson]

How violent people are is a poor metric of hatred, given that level of hatred would generally be obfuscated by the fact that the US is a superpower. Losing their lives and likely having their country bombed in response to whatever small attack they could muster isn't going to rate highly on the scale of "what we should do". Self-preservation and all that. It's only the suicidal/religious nuts who are going to try to fight us, outside cases where the US is actively invading already.

(Also, morality...)