"And for changing things in Iran et al, check the resource curse on Wikipedia. Countries that weren't democracies when they found oil didn't become democracies. (Norway already was democratic before the oil.) It is just too lucrative for the leaders to oppress the population and steal the money"
Here it is. There was a democracy in Iran, but since it's been toppled it's going to be difficult to change the authoritarian government that is in place now. This is the result of U.S.'s work. This thread is getting long, so it's easy to miss points of text... If you feel like continuing we can take it to email. Mine is meric.au AT gmail.
The only ones still keeping the indignation alive from that time period are the Palestinians (because they are refused citizenship by the Arab countries) -- and Iran....? (And some Japanese islands?)
Also see my point about things working very differently, now. Go back and see the extinction of the indians or the Spanish war (I think that is the US name?). The same goes for most every country the further back in history you go; e.g. wimpy Sweden taught the Germans everything they know about atrocities to civilians...
If you have nothing to say in four comments, I doubt you have more in email.
You still haven't touched my original point. I really think you (is there more than one person?) write all this irrelevant text since you are unable to answer -- and a True believer can't change your opinion(s). So you just hide it, by damaging HN with drenching it in text.
It starts: "It seems that dictators generally need to make enemies out of the world's democracies."
My second comment starts with: "First -- that is not relevant to my point that authoritarian juntas seems to need to make external enemies out of the world's democracies."
(Similar in my third and fourth comment.)
I only read the first sentence you wrote. I lost hope of a serious answer a while back.
"I still can't figure out what your "original point" is. Perhaps you meant the very first sentence you wrote. "It seems that dictators generally need to make enemies out of the world's democracies." I never did disagree with it, only that even non-dictatorships such as U.S. do it too. Almost without exception, those in power conjure external forces to ensure their own legitimacy, it's stupid to say only dictators did so."
You claimed that before. I discussed that, despite that it wasn't relevant to my point, in two comments. Including the GP(!).
So I assume you have nothing to say. Except that you want to drown my original point in a sea of text..?