Trump's Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy

"The pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved so much better. They deserved the support of a democratic United States that could sincerely urge the rule of law and habeas corpus (allowing people to legally challenge their detentions) be respected, not to speak of freedom of speech, the press, and assembly in accordance with the Constitution. Unfortunately, President Donald J. Trump has forfeited any claim to respect for such rights or a principled foreign policy and so has proved strikingly ineffective in aiding those protesters."

"The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump's authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from the detainments and killings of protesters carried out by the basij (or pro-regime street militias) in Iran. In fact, they rendered his protests and bluster about Iran the height of hypocrisy."

"In late December, bazaar merchants in Iran decried the collapse of the nation's currency, the rial. For many years, it had been under severe pressure thanks to Trump's "maximum pressure" sanctions, renewed European sanctions over Iran's nuclear enrichment program, and incompetent government financial policies. In December, the rial fell to 1.4 million to the dollar - and no, that is not a misprint - having lost 40% of its value over the course of the previous year."

Pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved robust support from a democratic United States urging respect for the rule of law, habeas corpus, and constitutional freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. President Donald J. Trump forfeited any claim to respect for such rights and lacked a principled foreign policy, proving ineffective in aiding those protesters. Arbitrary arrests and killings by agents of Trump's authoritarian-style rule differ in number, not kind, from detentions and killings of Iranian protesters by basij militias. The killing of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent undermined American moral authority. Economic turmoil, including a collapsing rial and 42% inflation, fueled strikes and unrest.

Read at The Nation