As a further example of how bad our media is we

[moniss]

see that the Persian Gulf countries being hit by Iran are generally portrayed in neutral or somewhat sympathetic terms. The truth about what these various countries have been up to doesn't find space in the reporting. Like the UAE being a major financial and arms supporter for the ongoing slaughter in Sudan. Like Qatar and their history of supporting and coddling Hamas.

Then there is Saudi Arabia. One of the most brutal regimes in the entire region. Notice that when the media, along with the fascists, are wailing on and on about the repression in Iran they somehow manage to ignore the repression in Saudi Arabia?

In Sudan the European Council on Foreign Relations site notes:

"Saudi Arabia and the UAE view Islamists as a threat, while Qatar has backed these groups. Abu Dhabi and Riyadh oppose the prospect of participatory governance in Sudan."

So they are "riding different horses" and the slaughter of the people goes on as the wealthy nations play their games of slaughter while vying for position to the resources of another country. All while the wailing goes on about how Iran is using support of militia/terror groups to try and achieve their goals.

There are plenty of others to talk about as well such as Israeli support for the brutal military junta in Myanmar.

So certainly we can all agree that Iran has a horrible leadership/horrible violence etc. but it is vomit inducing to see the Western media, and nearly every politician, fail to give an accurate picture of what these other countries are like and have been doing to their own citizens as well as the treachery in other countries.

If calling out a country for singing the song of murderous intent, terrorism and brutality is what is to be done then call out all of the singers and not just one or two. The actions of the governments of Iran, Assad when he controlled Syria and Israel are all worthy of condemnation but they are hardly alone and yet most of the Western media, currently and even before, seems unable to give a damn or speak the words. What were we, the US, in Venezuela?

https://ecfr.eu/publication/the-falcons-and-the-secretary-bird-arab-gulf-states-in-sudans-war/

[vanessa_ca]

1. vomit inducing indeed -eom

[snot]

2. Even on NPR,

I hear 9 pro-war experts interviewed for every one who questions it or talks about the history, how our conduct in other countries has played a huge role in whatever blowback we get, and all the reasons why one more war will, like the others before it, make everything worse for everyone except a few oligarchs.

[modrepub]

3. I Don't Think There Are Many Folks

Who really realize how complicated the Middle East Is.

First, it is home to sites considered Holy to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Confounding this layer of complexity is that within each of these religions there are sects that despise one another. Probably the most important is the split between the Shia (Iran, Iraq) and Sunni (Saudi Arabia) branches in Islam and the shear population advantage Iran has versus the House of Saud.

It's apparent the current alliance pits Saudi Arabia and its aligned Gulf States, Israel's current administration and the evangelical branch of US Christianity versus Iran and its militia supporters. There's plenty of hatred and fear spread out across the Middle East, and like Hegseth says, there will be no quarter given.

Unfortunately, the rest of us are just along for the ride.

[moniss]

4. Yes and I've written a good deal about these aspects

over the last few years. The West has always been playing all of the parties off against one another and all of the splinter groups too. Even now we see the old US versus Great Britain versus France games at play as they've done with each other for well over a century. The Western powers for the whole of their interactions in the Middle East have been fomenting assassinations of leadership in the countries, leadership within various groups etc. etc. and it is always about oil, shipping commerce and control.

[snot]

5. Exactly. It also seems to me shockingly awful

for us to kill Iran's leaders and then tell them who or what kind of leader they should have, when decades ago they had a fine, democratically-elected leader whom we replaced with a brutal dictator.