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Joined 3 years ago
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Cake day: August 2nd, 2023

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  • I think there’s a little bit of conflation happening in terms of the demographics each of us is trying to talk about.

    The conversations I’m talking about are pre-war, when there wasn’t even hint of the US or Israel attacking Iran. Some of these people are very new to my city at the time, they moved less than a year ago. They are currently devastated at what is happening to their home country.

    The girls school was definitely bombed by the US and Israel. That is undeniable fact and anyone who wants to deny that cannot face the truth.

    There is a lot of propaganda around this war, and around any war. But I do not appreciate you trying to invalidate the voices of people who were born and raised in that country, spent the vast majority of their lives there, still have family and friends there, and personally experienced the kind of hatred and violence that comes from a religious government. I don’t mean to attack you personally but you’re demonstrating a complete lack of recognition of the moral complexity. That the current Iranian government is terrible and has committed horrific crimes against its own people, but that does not justify foreign powers attempting a racist coup for their own benefit and spreading propaganda about it.


  • Anecdotal I know, but I’m friends with several Iranian people, good friends with some of them. Every one of them and their families has nothing but bad things to say about that government. They’re a horrible dictatorial power that completely suppresses women’s rights, religious freedoms, and bodily autonomy. They rule on fear and terror and are genuinely awful.

    They are still supported by small groups of extreme religious conservatives who will threaten and call the police on any woman exercising autonomy because that is what they believe their imaginary space friend wants.

    This is not propaganda when it comes from people, especially women, who’ve lived their whole lives in fear of this regime and couldn’t wait to get out. Could my knowledge be skewed by only having spoken to Iranian emigrants? Yes, sure. But the facts they’ve talked about are still true.










  • And I’m disagreeing that pedophiles can’t help their feelings. This dialogue only occurs because of the recent conflation between sexuality and pedophilia. I’ve always been of the opinion that they need to see a professional, and that needs to be a non-negotiable. I reject any conversation on their feelings being a choice because as evidenced in this thread, people conflate ideas that apply to sexuality to pedophiles. I just responded to someone who accused me of arguing for conversion therapy. It’s pedophilia, it needs to stay stigmatised because of how huge the consequences are if they act on it.


  • It is important to mind the language we use and how it affects things and people. Softening language around pedophilia does not serve a better society. I agree that society is harsh on pedophiles. It is rightfully so, because the consequence of acting on these thoughts is massive for the other. Harshness is necessary because these thoughts should be treated as vile, repulsive, and something to get rid of. It is tricky to approach seeking help with something perceived as repulsive, but pedophiles can take solace that counsellors are confidential, trained professionals who will refer them to someone else if they cannot handle the subject.




  • Bizarre equivalencies here. Firstly, regardless of my personal beliefs on large age gaps, those are consenting adults. You’re equating them to children. Children are not consenting adults, it is a problem if you feel sexual attraction to them. Same thing with animals. They cannot consent. You have some really messed up ideals if you’re equating psychiatry and therapy, especially modern-day versions of them, to conversion therapy forced onto gay people. This is exactly why I called it excusatory MAP bullshit because you go right down this slippery slope. Being sexually attracted to children is not a sexuality.


  • Yeah, but prefaced it by saying you can’t help who or what you’re attracted to. Right out of the MAP playbook. The thoughts and attraction in itself is a problem and requires counselling because “children” are not a sexuality. You can and should help what you’re attracted to when that what is a child! If you’re having suicidal thoughts, you should see a counsellor. If you’re having thoughts about harming others, you should see a counsellor. If you’re having thoughts about diddling kids, you. should. see. a. counsellor.