Arrested in Iran

[84FLH]

“Despite the advice of friends, family and the [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] we’ve chosen to keep moving forward. Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life.”

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Ah, but Islamic governments are a different story, expecially those who rule by the iron rod of Sha'ria and whose population wholeheartedly agrees "There is no God but Allah" and "Islam will dominate the world". No amount of the naive imaginations of laid back do-gooders will ever change this belief, rooted in thousands of years of indoctrination. The word Islam, by the way, means "submission".

Travel in Islamic countries, but especially Iran, at this time is risky. This unfortunate couple demonstrated shocking naivite and ignorance of the geopolitical ramifications of America's new, no-nonsense President's approach towards Iran; a country designated nearly worldwide as a "sponsor of state terrorism" ... and his influence on England's awakening to the terrifying results of decades of importing a culture diametrically opposed to Western democracy (and Western republics).

So great is the divide between Englanders and their invited counter culture guests, that England has become a haven of no-go areas where police don't go and the guests rule themselves by Sha'ria to a great extent.

English leaders are now calling for return of guests and limits to future guests, and this has Iran and other guest sources fully riled up. These leaders cite America's POTUS as an example to follow. The couple will be used as bargaining chips to discourage England's "England First" awakening and to also discourage England from emulating America's POTUS approach to Iran.

The capture of innocents to use as bargaining chips to intimidate a country and influence it's foreign policy is itself terrorism.

True, most people in the world want to work, come home and enjoy their family, and pursue happiness in life. Also true, not all people are tolerant of other religions and political beliefs, and many within that group are capable of extreme barbarism. There really, really are "Some places you just don't go" in the world today.

Sad departure from the 50's of my youth. Wish the couple Godspeed, and protection upon the woman, especially.

 

[Tudor Tanase]

In Australia we currently have the official outrage and formal demands for the release of a zero military experience Aussie ex-teacher who volunteered to fight in Ukraine (contrary to the official "do not travel" advice) to "kill Russians" (his quote), got captured and is now in POW detention. Russian ambassador "hauled to a meeting" (so our media says) to demand the release of the "Australian soldier" (?), etc. I am definitely not pro-Russian, just pro-common sense and big picture... Some people have a very naive perspective of third world and war realities and get themselves in heaps of trouble and then there is an expectation that the government must fix it, as they are victims. I hope they all get out of it safe and sound, but PLEASE think/research/get local info before doing something stupid!

 

[cruiserdude80]

I believe that people who travel to countries like Iran and others, against home Governmental Advice and Common Sense, who find themselves in these dire situations, got what they signed up for. Your Government should not be responsible for pulling your fanny out of the fire when you had ample warning. Throughout my career, I found there are truly evil people in the world, and the expectation that Good Will, Rainbows, hand holding and Unicorns will keep the evil away, is fundamentally off. Ignore Travel Advisories, Common Sense, and Evil that can exist, you are on your own.

"Despite the advice of friends, family and the [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] we’ve chosen to keep moving forward. Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life.”

We categorized people like these on our reports with the letter "V".

 

[crazysccrmd]

Hard to be indoctrinated for thousands of years by a religion that’s only existed for about 1400 years. You’re just as wrong about the average person living Iran as a European that thinks all Americans carry automatic firearms and wear cowboy hats everywhere.

 

[rruff]

England's awakening to the terrifying results of decades of importing a culture diametrically opposed to Western democracy (and Western republics).

You probably didn't realize this, but democracy is on the decline worldwide. Definitely in the US.

Google Search

 

[ThundahBeagle]

I might not state this about Islamist countries per se. I feel like this is not likely to happen in, say Turkey. Would it happen in a Dictatorial nation? Yes. Whether politically dictatorial or theologically dictatorial. North Korea, while not Islamist, seems it would act similarly. See Otto Warmbier almost a decade ago. Idealistic student somehow on a school trip to North Korea. Rather fancied one of the communist murals on the wall and went to take it down as a keepsake. By the time he came home he had been abused to the point of being in a coma. Might as well say he never left North Korea alive. He was comatose and when the tubes were removed, he died shortly thereafter.

To me, an accident can happen anywhere. But an incident is much more likely to occur in Iran, North Korea, and similar such places. There is just no need to go there a d try to prove yourself right, because the risk to reward ratio is just not worth it.

 

[Tudor Tanase]

Hard to be indoctrinated for thousands of years by a religion that’s only existed for about 1400 years. You’re just as wrong about the average person living Iran as a European that thinks all Americans carry automatic firearms and wear cowboy hats everywhere.

I have no doubt there are heaps of nice people in e.g. Iran. Trouble is, it's not THEM in control. It's not a democracy. Heaps of nice people who keep their heads low and don't intervene as they know the consequences. Their life/(relative) freedom is more improtant to them than yours. So the few ones with all the power (in this case the indoctrinated ones I guess) do what they please. You are from a country they hate and consider themselves at war with. How exactly do you expect to be treated?

 

[Kingsize24]

You probably didn't realize this, but democracy is on the decline worldwide. Definitely in the US.

Google Search

That's good though, since we aren't a democracy. 😳😬😆 IJS

 

[Gravelette]

Desperate for internet attention. Look at me Mommy....

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Desperate for internet attention. Look at me Mommy....

...or...daddy

 

[ThundahBeagle]

That's good though, since we aren't a democracy. 😳😬😆 IJS

View attachment 870814

Representative democratic republic.

Can you imagine a pure democracy? Literally "people rule." I mean, some people DO rule, like Paul McCartney, but in the purest democracy made up of 10 wolves and 3 sheep, what's the vote for "what are we having for dinner tonight?" look like?

 

[Kingsize24]

Representative democratic republic.

Can you imagine a pure democracy? Literally "people rule." I mean, some people DO rule, like Paul McCartney, but in the purest democracy made up of 10 wolves and 3 sheep, what's the vote for "what are we having for dinner tonight?" look like?

Agreed. Some things will be tough from time to time. People will lose jobs, people will gain them. Things change every 4 to 8 years in this country, but the contrast is stark when compared to others. We have the best country in the world, and I truely believe our problems are 1%'er problems.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Agreed. Some things will be tough from time to time. People will lose jobs, people will gain them. Things change every 4 to 8 years in this country, but the contrast is stark when compared to others. We have the best country in the world, and I truely believe our problems are 1%'er problems.

I think about this every day. I am not rich, nor am I even considered well off. I have to work 20 more years and I'm in my 50's. Making ends meet is tough, and takes the both of us working together here.

However:

I live in a log cabin on a wooded acre. I work in technology. I have a long drive to work and I make that drive in a full size pickup with heated leather seats. Maybe a Subaru next year. For part of that ride, I get to drive through Concord and West Concord where the small family farms are bucolic, and where the history of the American Revolution is rampant. Large stone walls of 200 and 300years ago, still standing and separating plots and properties. Tree lined streets where the trees are 200 years old on either side. Houses built any time from 1699 to 1870's - its beautiful. And it is all still here because of the relative strength and stability this nation has carved out for itself. And not by accident.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

“Despite the advice of friends, family and the [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] we’ve chosen to keep moving forward. Why? Because we believe that, no matter where you are in the world, most people are good, kind humans striving for a meaningful life.”

--------------------------------------------

Ah, but Islamic governments are a different story, expecially those who rule by the iron rod of Sha'ria and whose population wholeheartedly agrees "There is no God but Allah" and "Islam will dominate the world". No amount of the naive imaginations of laid back do-gooders will ever change this belief, rooted in thousands of years of indoctrination. The word Islam, by the way, means "submission".

Travel in Islamic countries, but especially Iran, at this time is risky. This unfortunate couple demonstrated shocking naivite and ignorance of the geopolitical ramifications of America's new, no-nonsense President's approach towards Iran; a country designated nearly worldwide as a "sponsor of state terrorism" ... and his influence on England's awakening to the terrifying results of decades of importing a culture diametrically opposed to Western democracy (and Western republics).

So great is the divide between Englanders and their invited counter culture guests, that England has become a haven of no-go areas where police don't go and the guests rule themselves by Sha'ria to a great extent.

English leaders are now calling for return of guests and limits to future guests, and this has Iran and other guest sources fully riled up. These leaders cite America's POTUS as an example to follow. The couple will be used as bargaining chips to discourage England's "England First" awakening and to also discourage England from emulating America's POTUS approach to Iran.

The capture of innocents to use as bargaining chips to intimidate a country and influence it's foreign policy is itself terrorism.

True, most people in the world want to work, come home and enjoy their family, and pursue happiness in life. Also true, not all people are tolerant of other religions and political beliefs, and many within that group are capable of extreme barbarism. There really, really are "Some places you just don't go" in the world today.

Sad departure from the 50's of my youth. Wish the couple Godspeed, and protection upon the woman, especially.

Um.. the Thackwrays and Firkins were arrested during a completely different US administration, which was much more friendly or at least lenient with regards to Iran. Even THIS couple entered Iran during the previous administration and may have been arrested on the cusp between one administration and the next.
Really it doesnt seem to matter whic administration is in office, so I dont know why you lean on that. Iran is well known as a theological dictatorship since 1979 and took hostages right out of the box after that coup. People who feel like they can wheel right on through Iran like they were driving up the Pacific Coast Highway while taking pictures of sensitive military installations and infrastructure are foolish at best, or possibly surreptitiously working for some alpha-numeric organization at worst.

Why do I say this? We dont know the details of this case but the other two were taking pictures of sensitive areas.

What do we all think, for example, Robert Ballard was really looking for when he found the wreck of the Titanic? Most of these scientific researchers get grants from the government to fund the Titanic or something by working on other projects that benefit the government, and with a little time left over to goof around looking for shipwrecks.

Could have been looking for lost Nukes off the eastern seaboard, or laying new SOSUS sensors and got a few days allowed to divert from that for the more fun, public facing project and bam, he finds the Titanic. That's what he is known for but if I'm not wrong that was not the only purpose for which they were there.

I'm not saying these people really are conducting espionage but who the h e l l goes from Iran to Pakistan on a Sunday drive at this point? Were they en route to North Korea next. You know, just for kicks.

I know first hand what it is like to try to get out if a differe t country under duress and tragic circumstances and it was tough. I wouldn't wish it in anyone. And I want in a place like Iran

God help them and get them home safe and sound but d a a m n, can they not just be sensible about where they go next tine? If they are lucky enough to get a next time.

Sorry for the rant. I really do wish them well. The world should quake in thier boots before kidnapping people like this, but they dont, do they

 

[Gravelette]

Agreed. Some things will be tough from time to time. People will lose jobs, people will gain them. Things change every 4 to 8 years in this country, but the contrast is stark when compared to others. We have the best country in the world, and I truely believe our problems are 1%'er problems.

Yep, it's all about perspective. How much whining have we heard recently about the economy? And yet by any measure our economy is the best in the world. By far.