[vintermann]

> This is based on some ideological pillar of being autarkic, as the Islamic Republic was generally built upon the fear of outside influence

You say that if it was some cultural oddity, and not a completely understandable reaction and exactly the same any state with "western culture" would have done in the same situation.

[breppp]

I don't say it's a cultural oddity, western culture had its fair share of self-destructive regimes which ideological underpinnings created great disasters, especially in the 20th century

[stocksinsmocks]

I feel like I may be insulting your intelligence with how obvious this is, but the Israeli government has had turning Iran into a failed state as an open policy objective since the 1980s. Given that Israeli interests have achieved this end in basically every non-monarchy in the region, I think this is a credible threat. Israel has a highly aggressive and influential lobby in the United States, which has posed debilitating sanctions on Iran for many years now. I’m not saying the religious leadership in Iran are the good guys, but the siege mentality is hardly irrational.

[breppp]

I think that's an overly simplistic and false view of Israeli-Iranian relations since 1979.

Israel had tried to help Islamist Iran negotiate with the US through the Contra debacle, shared intelligence with Iran against Iraq (failed reactor bombing) and outright sold weapons to Iran to support them against Iraq.

There was a naive belief in Israel that the daily "Death to Israel" chants are just rhetoric like in the arab countries it used to deal with, and Iran can be a quiet ally like before 1979

At the same time Iran fought Israel through their mercenaries in Lebanon up to the point where all of Iran's resources were consumed by the failed attempt to encircle Israel, which has collapsed completely in the last two years

[_DeadFred_]

What's been Iran's official policy objective? Who is the 'little satan' they call for the death of?

And siege mentality. Right. Like how instead of funding water works Iran surrounded Israel by funding Hamas, Hezbollah, and militias in Iraq.

[JumpCrisscross]

> exactly the same any state with "western culture" would have done in the same situation

Until like a couple years ago, autarky was generally not in the Western playbook. It’s a stupid idea that tends to be embraced by stupid people. The only ones who have done it sustainably are the Kims, as a nuclear monarchy over a totalitarian state.

[vintermann]

They have not been in the same situation, and that is sufficient explanation. No cultural geists need to be posited.

The point of autarky isn't that you want to isolate yourself from the world, but that because you credibly could, you're in a much stronger negotiating position in all those mutually beneficial deals you would like to make.

[JumpCrisscross]

> that because you credibly could, you're in a much stronger negotiating position in all those mutually beneficial deals you would like to make

Except it doesn't put one in a stronger position. It systematically weakens the economy. It only makes sense for domestic power-consolidation since a poor economy that can't trade with anyone except the state is entirely beholden to whoever controls the state.

Stupid idea. Stupid people.

[mr_important]

They're being sanctioned by a regime controlled by the most aggressive, violent group on earth.