this post was submitted on 23 Jun 2025
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The enemy of your enemy is sometimes just your fucking enemy (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 weeks ago by PugJesus@lemmy.world to c/tankiejerk@lemmy.world
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[–] Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 25 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

this is more of a "let them fight", just grab popcorn and enjoy the show, not sure any side is really good.

except for the countless Iranian civilians the US/Israel will carpet bomb/starve.

would say I'd feel bad for the Israeli civilians, but goven how they mostly celebrated the genocide, and block arabs from their shelters. they have systematically exhausted any ounce of empathy I am willing to give.

And I am technically Israeli (was 100% zionists until I lived there and saw that the antizionist talk wasn't propaganda but the truth and left Israel). would love to return once apartheid collapses.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 22 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

The image is of Khomeini, who is long-dead. Nevertheless, there is a strange current of 'critical support' (often lacking any serious criticism) for the Islamic Revolution and the resulting Islamic Republic of Iran, despite Khomeini's success being predicated on massacres of leftists, including the total purge of the Tudeh Party.

Despite the current flare-up, this is only related to current events by the strange tendency of some nominal leftists to simp for the Islamic Republic on campist grounds.

In terms of current events, I agree - except for the civilian population, which always suffers, there are no good guys (EDIT: in terms of the international situation; Israel is obviously the worst of the lot domestically, on account of, you know, genociding the occupied Palestinian territories) between the US, Iran, and Israel at current, even in relative terms.

[–] Anomalocaris@lemm.ee 6 points 3 weeks ago

it absolutely breaks my heart, because I have family in Israel, and whenever I talk to them they are crying about why would Iranian be so cruel, and also super happy and joyful that they kill as many Palestinians as possible. don't talk to them often, and I can't understand, they are in Israel, they see the same things I saw when I was there, why can't they get past they 24/7 lifelong propaganda like I did?

I really hope apartheid falls, and they get to live in a free democratic country, and be grumpy that their racist asses have to be free in a country where everyone is free. I hope the apartheid they support collapses before they get kill by it.

not asking you or anyone to empathize with them.

[–] kirk781@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 weeks ago

Khomeini took power originally in 1979 after returning from exile in Paris, right after the deposition of the Shah? People either seem to praise Shah era Iran for its supposed liberalism (when it had really ruthless police system and crackdown on dissidents) or this wave of sympathy for the Islamic regime.

Ironically, it all stems back to 1953 when Mossadegh tried to nationalise some oil fields and was couped and Reza Pahlavi was installed. This led to this deeply unpopular regime and the mess we see today.

[–] plyth@feddit.org 5 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Besides Lenin, who are the other lefties?

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 17 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Guy on the bottom left is the dude who runs Second Thought channel on YouTube and unless I'm mistaken I don't believe he's ever simped for Iran. Smells like some bull in here.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

He's a contributor to the Deprogram podcast, which absolutely has played apologist for Iran.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 5 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not clear - is this guilt by association, he contributes to that podcast and others on the podcast have played apologist for Iran, or he specifically praises Iran?

Further, do they speak positively of the current regime (eg Khamenei, as pictured) or Iran's plight in general?

Because it makes a big difference, to me at least.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 4 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I’m not clear - is this guilt by association, he contributes to that podcast and others on the podcast have played apologist for Iran, or he specifically praises Iran?

He's one of the three fucking hosts, man, it's not an ensemble cast; at that point, whoever's voice is talking, you're part of the fucking apologia.

Further, do they speak positively of the current regime (eg Khamenei, as pictured)

Of the current regime. Khomeini is pictured as representative of the Islamic Republic as a whole.

[–] pulsewidth@lemmy.world 2 points 3 weeks ago

I've been browsing r/thedeprogram on Reddit for a bit today to get a feel for the attitudes. Seems complex with some rational and some extremist views. I see a lot of people speaking very anti-Iran leadership, eg "I was, as I am now for the overthrow of the brutal theocratic Iranian government through self-determination." (Post from 2 years back, lots of support with 66 upvotes and discussion about iran vs US imperialism etc), but also some absolutely cooked attitudes pro-authoritarianism. Eg "The Great Firewall is so genius, any argument against it is complete garbage." On a post discussing China supposedly wiping out CIA ops in the country, post from a few days ago.

This is just their reddit, not the creators direct views, but it gives a great feel for the attitudes they foster. I don't have the patience or desire to check through a bunch of their podcasts.

I'll be taking anything I see from them with a very cautious view though, thanks to your comments.

P. S. I couldn't tell which Iranian leader it was from a black & white meme, thought it was a younger image of the current leader (Khamenei), not Khomeini. I see it now 👍

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 8 points 3 weeks ago

I believe they're all icons of contributors to the Deprogram podcast, which tends to champion very... campist interpretations of international politics.