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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 1, 2024

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In your opinion, should the mullahs try harder? Should they do more?

Evidently so, if current policies are ineffective. But short of applying direct force, this is a problem virtually every developed and semi-developed country on Earth doesn't have a solid proposal for. If people's own choices can't reliably produce an outcome, and coercion can't reliably produce an outcome, all that remains is to institute more crushing and draconian penalties.

Assuming they could try harder - remember that Iran is country with massively disaffected populace, with regular riots and urprisings with death toll in the hundreds. Country more like Tsarist Russia than Stalin's one.

Your link doesn't work properly. And the same incidentally could be said of many western countries, where suicide rates are up, there's a great sense of apathy in the population, I'm told we've never been closer to fascism and wages have stagnated considerably for the past forty years. I'm sorry, but reports of America's death have been greatly exaggerated, all other problems considered. You'll forgive me if I'm not going all in on Iran, either.

Evidently so, if current policies are ineffective. But short of applying direct force, this is a problem virtually every developed and semi-developed country on Earth doesn't have a solid proposal for. If people's own choices can't reliably produce an outcome, and coercion can't reliably produce an outcome, all that remains is to institute more crushing and draconian penalties.

So the mullahs are weenies, so your plan for creating perfect trad society is more prisons, more torture and more executions. Your proposed solution is you and few hundred thousands of Revolutionary Guards (how many of them would be wiling to obey?) waging full scale war against the whole population (while Iran is indeed surrounded by enemies willing to exploit the opportunity).

Good luck with your plan.

And the same incidentally could be said of many western countries, where suicide rates are up, there's a great sense of apathy in the population

LOL. People willing to do this are anything but apathetic. Especially when they know they will not get slap on the wrist like BLM, when they know they can be shot or tortured to death. The Iranian government wishes the people were "apathetic".

So the mullahs are weenies, so your plan for creating perfect trad society is more prisons, more torture and more executions. Your proposed solution is you and few hundred thousands of Revolutionary Guards (how many of them would be wiling to obey?) waging full scale war against the whole population (while Iran is indeed surrounded by enemies willing to exploit the opportunity).

You're the one using all this value-laden, disparaging language, not me. I never said anything at all about a comprehensive set of solutions, save for pointing out that apparently Iran doesn't an overall plan that works. The most I ever said if you go back to my original post, was that Iran sanctioning the death penalty for adultery was merely "a step in the right direction" to start with. And what's the serious objection to that? "I won't get married if I get the death penalty for adultery!" Well why the hell would you get married in the first place, if you plan to commit adultery? But if I can't even open my mouth without you trying to shove something in it, then there's little point for further discussion on the matter.

LOL. People willing to do this are anything but apathetic. Especially when they know they will not get slap on the wrist like BLM, when they know they can be shot or tortured to death. The Iranian government wishes the people were "apathetic".

Ah, well if we can cherry pick examples to our liking, there are plenty of places in the US that resemble third world countries.

Yes, you said that death penalty for adultery is small step in right direction.

For comparison, in US it would mean executing 15% of adults. Without putting anything into your mouth, I fail to see your "final destination" as anything other than Himalaya sized mountain of skulls.

Ah, well if we can cherry pick examples to our liking, there are plenty of places in the US that resemble third world countries.

Now show places in US with regular armed uprisings against US government with death tolls from hundreds to thousands.

For comparison, in US it would mean executing 15% of adults. Without putting anything into your mouth, I fail to see your "final destination" as anything other than Himalaya sized mountain of skulls.

If 15% of adults continued to commit capital offenses after the law went into effect, yes, we would execute 15% of adults.

Now show places in US with regular armed uprisings against US government with death tolls from hundreds to thousands.

You're the one who made the claim about "armed uprisings," not me.