[aaomidi]

This is just sad. I feel for all my open source developers in these countries.

I feel for all my peers who I spent my undergrad with in Iran.

These archaic laws need to be deleted. America needs to be shamed for making it so hard for people to gain skills in these countries. Companies need to be shamed for not challenging these laws.

[abstract7]

Shame should be directed at the sanctioned govts like that of Cuba that jail or kill people for political dissent. And shame on companies that help them. These regimes are unelected or sponsor terrorism, like Iran. They must not grow. It's a bad situation all around and there is no other peaceful alternative. Crippling these govts provides them with less resources to setup extreme surveillance grids and control, like China who has Muslims under total surveillance and has 1 million of them in a camp (they aren't trying to sneak into China). They also harvest political prisoner organs and millions of unregistered women are in hiding because of the 1-child policy (not too mention females are aborted at an extreme rate). Iran's people have a shot because it's hard for the govt to control them with limited resources. The Soviets were energized by not so bad relations with the West after WII. That gave them the build up for future proxy wars and destroying pockets of dissent, including entrenching the CPB and North Korea. And if we didn't resist and sanction, hundreds of millions would now be under the thumb of the Soviets and possibly under German Nationalist Socialists if the free world did not fight and sanction them too.

[bluemmb]

Are you sure that you know where do you live yourself? How many people life have USA ruined or ended for only it's own good? should I mention the whole Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iran, .... USA has ruined these people life only for the money and power. USA starts many of the terrorism groups, don't be blind, nobody create these groups nearby himself. It does this so it can sell it's weapons. It's like USA has made a playground way outside of his home, starting fights and selling weapon to them to fight and get money out of it and showing itself no related and sorry for all of these. Do you even understand not being able to buy a simplest drug for cancer of your close people what can do to you?

[abstract7]

The neocons that blundered in Iraq and the neoliberals (like former Sec State HRC) that overthrew the Libyan dictatorship and targeted the Syrian autocracy, were democratically removed from leading US foreign policy. Democracy here adjusts. The 45th has accelerated the withdrawal from Syria due to anger from voters. The neocons and neoliberal have been pushing for Syrian escalation and the ousting of Assad. And there is now a peace path with North Korea, despite again extreme criticism by the necons and neoliberal.

On the other hand there is no accountability in Iran, Russia, or Syria. Russia just straight up annexed Crimea. And Putin is still in power and popular among Russians. Assad still hasn't held more than a single election in 5 decades. Again, the Bushs are out because of Iraq. And Afghanistan (that sheltered terrorist Al Queda) has a trillions in USD in rare earth deposits, yet we buy from China almost exclusively. China is not our friend anymore. We don't even own Iraqi oil.

Sanctions are just. And Nazis, Imperial Japan, and the Soviets were once embargoed, and they would be running an impoverished world today, if not for the US-led efforts. To the contrary, world GDP has increased many fold and US inventions, like the internet, lift billions out of poverty and into the drivers seats of their futures. Defeated former foes in Japan, Germany, even Russia, et all, and the defended like South Korea are doing fabulously after wisely focusing on building instead of launching an insurgency (after losing) because of "Death to Israel and the Great Satan" or whatever. Shame on the insurgents for plunging Iraq into disarray.

I have no idea what you're talking about with Palestine. The Palestine Authority pays million of dollars (from billions in US aid) a year to the families of terrorists (the longer the prison sentence, the more they pay), like someone that goes into a jewish house and stabs the entire family to death. Iran also supports terrorist Palestinian Hamas. Again, a lot of complaining and little building. Sanctions would come off if they stopped strapping on suicide vests because "Death to Israel".

Is our republic perfect? No. But more people have immigrated here than anywhere in history. We still take in more immigrants than anywhere else. And families that refuse to wait in line, risk their lives to cross desserts to wind up in temporary detention centers for a few a weeks just to get a residency court date. We have a Muslim Somali immigrant woman that's elected into Congress, and routinely disrespects our ally Israel and even the US. She is not in prison because of our freedoms. How many immigrant Jewish Americans are elected in Somalia?

Which country are you from?

[aaomidi]

How is this related to people being limited?

Why is this even a point? Would you be happy if I took away your kids future by pointing out however many fucked up things your country has done?

[abstract7]

You could have made the same argument to not sanction any govt, like the Nationalist Socialists or Soviets.

[aaomidi]

This isn't sanctioning the govt. This is sanctioning people.

The govt has billions of resources to bypass this.

[abstract7]

Economic sanctions prevent these regimes from entrenching themselves and growing. And if it didn't, the Iranian regime wouldn't be seizing ships and harassing our Navy to protest the sanctions. They work. And bad govts have crumbled using this and supportive efforts. Are you sympathetic to the underclass dissidents getting tortured and killed or the small fraction of Iranian upper-middle class elites complaining about the USA sanctions and not fully condemning the murderous Ayatollah?

[aaomidi]

Most of what you said can be said about any country. Stop policing the world and making life even less safe for people there.

Economic prosperity brings about social change.

[ryacko]

I don’t think it takes “billions of resources” for a third world dictatorship to use a VPN.

For the average citizen of those countries, VPNs are either illegal or more expensive than their daily wage.

[abstract7]

Are you claiming Iranian tech elites don't use VPNs or Tor?