This thread from Yashar Ali on the Iranian protests says it all … seriously, this is great stuff.
Take a look:
1. This AM I woke up to dozens of messages from family/friends in Iran
Right now, Iran is a tinderbox internally. As some of you know, there are protests mostly around the anger that Iranians feel towards the gov after they admitted IRGC shot down the Ukraine Airlines aircraft
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
2. Iranians who are protesting and all the family/friends I spoke to (who live in different parts of Iran) are furious that they were lied to for three days about the cause of the plane crash. The Iranian government lied left and right about where the plane was headed
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
They were lied to by their own government.
And the traditional media in our country helped them lie.
3. What brought down the plane. The Iranian government completely mishandled the plane crash, destroying evidence in the process. Iranians are in the street calling for death to the Supreme Leader (something that could get them executed).
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Makes our protesters in pink vagina hats throwing glitter and screaming about their president literally being Hitler seem really silly, right?
4. Iranians are in the street calling for prosecutions, saying Soleimani is a murderer. Telling leadership of the Iranian government to resign and saying that Trump isn't the problem, that the Iranian government is.
To say that these protesters are brave is an understatement
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Trump isn’t the problem? But we’ve been informed by the Left, traditional media, and most of Hollywood that Trump is in fact to blame.
For everything.
Huh.
5. Nearly 2 months ago, Iran massacred hundreds (at least) and up to 1,500 of its citizens in the streets for protesting against gas prices. People in the streets are taking an enormous risk not only by protesting but by saying what they're saying like death to the Supreme Leader
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
6. I'm told that there will be expanded protests Sunday night in Iran (these things are always subject to change, particularly with intimidation from the government). So the question is what kind of support are the Iranian people going to get from the external world?
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
This. ^
7. Yesterday I tweeted this thread and was criticized by liberals who are intent on blaming this plane crash on President Trump. As I note in my thread, the idea that he's to blame for a decision the IRGC made is just absurd. https://t.co/RDppABy8YD
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Take a moment and read Yashar’s other thread … you’ll see very quickly why he wrote THIS one too.
8. And while Iranians aren't a monolith and there are 80 million people in Iran, you don't see Iranians blaming President Trump for the cash (in which Iranian citizens were killed). They're blaming the IRGC and the Supreme Leader for a series of horrific mistakes
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
9. I've gone through some of the most active and prominent liberal Twitter accounts and none of them mentioned the Iran protests today. These same people were actively tweeting about wanting to avoid war and attacking Trump for his decision.
What happened?
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Gosh, why would Liberals deliberately ignore the Iranian protests? Hrm.
What happened is their narrative blaming Trump doesn’t jive if a bunch of Iranian protesters is chanting good things about America and bad things about Soleimani and their own government. The same people who want to believe it was Trump’s fault that Iran shot down a passenger plane would have to backtrack and apologize if they acknowledged the Iranian people want THEIR GOVERNMENT held accountable.
Not Trump.
But you bet your sweet a*s if they were blaming Trump these ‘active and prominent’ liberal Twitter accounts would be all over these protests.
10. And that's why I tweeted this earlier today. In this context, Iranians are being used by certain people on the left (i didn't say all) as a tool to attack President Trump. But these same people don't seem to care to to support their right to protest?https://t.co/M1wLT4Lv3B
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Iranians being used by certain people on the Left as a tool to attack Trump.
Nailed it.
11. It seems to me the protests were inconvenient for some of these folks today. They were placing the blame on the Iranian leadership who lied repeatedly about what happened. They weren't blaming President Trump…so it wasn't worth it to bring attention to or support them?
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
It was not … that narrative ain’t gonna tell itself, Yashar.
12. This happens often with people living in authoritarian states & with certain religious/ethnic groups. We're used as tools to push domestic political agendas. We're told what to feel & think by people with no connection to our country & have no idea what they're talking about
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) January 12, 2020
Damn.
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