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U.S. Authorizes Sales of American Communication Tech To Iran

Posted by Soulskill on from the applying-a-sepia-filter-to-your-breakfast-is-a-fundamental-human-right dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A report at SF Gate notes that 'The United States has lifted portions of two-decades-old sanctions against Iran in an effort to bolster communication between the country's citizens — and potentially aid organization against a repressive Iranian government. Thursday afternoon the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized the sale of hardware and software that pertain to the Internet, instant messaging, chat, e-mail, social networking, sharing of media, and blogging — basically, all things digital. The Treasury Department wrote, 'As the Iranian government attempts to silence its people by cutting off their communication with each other and the rest of the world, the United States will continue to take action to help the Iranian people exercise their universal human rights, including the right to freedom of expression.'"

10 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. I wonder... by HaZardman27 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Do you have to pay extra to not have Stuxnet installed out-of-the-box?

    --
    Apparently wizard is not a legitimate career path, so I chose programmer instead.
    1. Re:I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      No, I think they're stux with it.

  2. The fine print... by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 4, Funny

    >> U.S. Treasury Department: "universal human rights, including the right to freedom of expression"

    The fine print: "...unless you advocate the rule of law based on the U.S. Constitution or the Bill of Rights."

  3. Infiltrate! by ColdWetDog · · Score: 4, Funny

    You do realize this is simply a cold hearted attempt to bring Iran to it's knees. Hear me out ....

    - Iran is subjected to crushing economic sanctions. Their economy makes Newark, NJ look like a paradise on earth.
    - Now, Apple and Sony can dump their high priced, effete toys on a naive, unsuspecting populace.
    - Billions of dollars flow outward from the Iran economy which, heretofore, had been largely supported by itinerant photoshop interns.
    - Profit
    - Iran collapses in a heap of shiny trinkets!

    USA! USA! USA! (oh, and China...)

    --
    Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
    1. Re:Infiltrate! by ceoyoyo · · Score: 3, Informative

      Forget the recent invasions of other countries, the US destabilized a democratic government and installed their own puppet dictator in Iran just over thirty years ago.

    2. Re:Infiltrate! by orgelspieler · · Score: 3, Insightful

      ha ha ha. If you think that Iranians aren't already fully aware of the way the "civilized world" lives, you're smoking crack. They know just fine. Coca-cola, Mickey Mouse, all that shit is (or at least was) commonplace. Had we left them the hell alone back in the 70's, things would have been a lot more America friendly over there. Hell, there might even be a Disney World - Prince of Persia theme park by now. The only reason they see us as the enemy is because we thought it was in our best interest to fuck with Russia by destabilizing that whole area. Mission fucking accomplished.

    3. Re:Infiltrate! by femtobyte · · Score: 3, Insightful

      They want the Iranians to see that not everyone lives in a medieval theocracy.

      Guess what? They *already fucking know that* --- and they know the *reason* they are living in a medieval theocracy is American interference blowing away their secular democracy and installing a brutal right-wing dictatorship that made theocracy look like a good choice in comparison. You're an ignorant condescending prick if you think Iran isn't already a modern, technologically savvy country filled with people who know what's going on in the world (probably much better than Fox-News-watching Americans). The Iranian people are just smart enough to know that welcoming Western megacorporate colonial oppression isn't the best solution to their "we have a sucky government" problem --- they've seen what partnering with America does to all the other countries we fuck over in the name of "economic liberalization".

    4. Re:Infiltrate! by cold+fjord · · Score: 3, Informative

      ...and they know the *reason* they are living in a medieval theocracy is American interference blowing away their secular democracy and installing a brutal right-wing dictatorship that made theocracy look like a good choice in comparison.

      I doubt that many Iranians share your ignorance on the matter. If you know much at all about the history there, you know that the so-called secular democracy that was replaced consisted solely of the former Prime Minister who had dissolved parliament, was ruling by decree indefinitely, faked an election, and resisted the sole remaining check on his power - the right of the constitutional monarch to dismiss the Prime Minister. What you refer to as "democracy" was a simple dictatorship at that point. The real coup in Iran was the Prime Minister overthrowing the government. The counter-coup was restoring, not "instilling," the Shaw to power.

      The Iranian people have clearly learned from the mistake of instilling the Ayatollahs into power, but the problem is remedying that. They ended up there in no small part due to the common interest that Muslim peoples have in instituting Islamic Sharia law, which they believe will resolve the common cultural problems in those regions, such as corruption. Unfortunately, it never really works out that way in the long term.

      The Iranian people are just smart enough to know that welcoming Western megacorporate colonial oppression isn't the best solution to their "we have a sucky government" problem

      That is nonsense beyond your bad history above. Corporations perform economic functions, not governing functions. They build trucks, mine ore, refine gasoline, can food, transport goods, run airlines, all that sort of thing. They don't elect governing legislative bodies, make laws, prosecute criminals, or make government policy. Economic activity versus government activity - they are different activities carried out by different groups in society. Although to truly prosper, a nation needs to get both activities right.

      they've seen what partnering with America does to all the other countries we fuck over in the name of "economic liberalization".

      It would be a shame if they turned out as well as Germany, Japan, Italy, South Korea, or various other countries, wouldn't it? Iraq would be in much better shape if Iran wasn't shipping arms to Iraqi Shia militias and using their Revolutionary Guards Quds Force (Special Forces) to stir the pot. That is part of the "sucky government" problem you refer to, and it bleeds over into other countries.

      You're an ignorant condescending prick

      I think you might be surprised to find out how big that club really is.

      --
      much of left-wing thought is a kind of playing with fire by people who don't even know that fire is hot - George Orwell
  4. Iranian IT Correspondence by Sparticus789 · · Score: 3, Funny

    To: Cisco
    From: Iran
    Subject: OMG HELP!
    Body: Dear kind sirs of Cisco,
    My name is Barrister Allahu Akbahara Salami Mozambique. I am trying to install your router system here in order to oppress my population in the name of Allah. However, I have been trying to change the root password for your switch. Whenever I try to telnet into it, the welcome message says "America, Fuck Yeah!" and plays a strange intro song. At the same time, all of the webcams, printers, faxes, document scanners go completely haywire and my network traffic spikes.

    Also, I have a large inheritance that I believe is meant for you. Could you send me your bank account information so that I may deposit a sum of 89 billion rial ($18 US) into your account?

    Yours in kind regards,
    Barrister Allahu Akbahara Salami Mozambique

    --
    sudo make me a sandwich
    1. Re:Iranian IT Correspondence by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 3, Informative

      I am trying to install your router system here in order to oppress my population ... the welcome message says "America, Fuck Yeah!"

      Um, no, it's Cisco.

      "We'll send you an invoice."

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)