IRANIANS

Dear Afshin

I have heard your type of sentiments more often these days by talking to those who visit Iran. I would suggest however to keep your head high and don't give up.

For those who think Iran was heaven before, Iran trip can be even more depressing. For those who talk about Aryan race of Iranians and pre-Islamic era greatness, the experience can be exhausting. Even for those who want to see nothing but reality of Iran and culture, Iran can be disappointing.

Regardless, many parts of our culture is economy based, meaning by change of time and capital, it will change as quickly as it did after the revolution (for some social class at least), and other parts of our culture will become better, more modern and functional. The reason is that these experiences will not vanish to the thin air. 

Therefore, my only advise is not to look at Iran from a short term basis. If you visited Iran during Ghajar from any Western countries, you would never guess that those people could even build or do anything right. Poor, uneducated, depressed, extremely conservative, and so on...

Don't give up. Things are not as bad as you think and not as good as it could be. We will survive. This too shall pass.

"Slaughtering sheep in public..under the previous regime."

Using  the previous regime as a yardstick for measuring the social decline? 

You seem not need my propaganda.

"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

Iranians more depressed and Shelakhteh every year.

???
Really? How old are you? In which protected enclave did you live in Iran? Slaughtering sheep in public, be it at the side of a "joob" or hanging from a tree was a normal sight even under the previous regime.

You wonder about the woman with the ice cream cone smiling

Well that just shows how disconnected you are from Iranians and their society. So why don't we just try and better the society we line in rather than impose something on other people.

As for the rest of your propaganda, nothing more to say just same old same old propaganda.

lives of quiet desperation,

lives of quiet desperation, what a sad existence indeed. iran is completely broken and i'm afraid a lost cause.  the people and culture have changed.  you don't realize it until you're there.  the majority of people are conservative and religious.  don't be fooled by images of affluent people from north tehran having a gay old time.  iran is a very poor country with no solid foundations.  no industry with quite possibly the worst skilled labor pool in the region. shotty workmanship is the norm and pretty much everyone is trying to rip the next person off. 

Lamb

I wonder why the guy in one of the picture couldn't find any better place to slaughter his lamb.

By looking at these pictures you realize that Iranians are becoming more depressed and Shelakhteh every year.

Currency of happiness

ISK, in my opinion, has a valid point. Our economy is solely based on petrodollar, which is wasted on either the Chinese junk, or N. Korean military toys which can only prolong mullahs' survival in case of a **real war** for a mere week at best. And the rest goes to Hamas, and Hezbollah. The rate of unemployment is steadily increasing...There is no healthcare plan... then, there is a serious case of overpopulation, along with shortage of water...etc. etc. And we have not talked about the widespread  corruption, and a fundamentally sick judicial (non)system.

I, too, wonder what is the woman with the ice cream cone smiling for. 

“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”

And...what depresses me the most

is that your values are based on an IPhone. Is that your currency for happiness? Is that all you could extract from the pictures? If that is your angle, then I can provide with links to pictures of NY and other large US cities that would make these "poor" people look like kings. 

what depresses me the most

ALL items in all the pictures above put together are worth less than an

iphone 4g that an average American college students has.\

 Rich country MY ASS. 

WE ARE A POOOR COUNTRY, A third world country.  Don't give me the "we are 18th on GDP"  - tell me what is the per capita income. 

The Only THing we got going for US is nature and that's because it is free and we had no role in building

"are, mamadjoon, heech cheez mesle ub wa hawaye iran nist"  Yea!!

#18, 19

These maman-dooz underwear are displayed only to encourage celibacy

Mehrdad

#18 ,19

Isn't this hypocritical, women are supposed to cover their hair but their underwear can be displayed in public for everyone to see.

#25 & #30

And the mansion goes to a foreign mouthpiece.

“The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”

That's funny Hamed, you know that the shop owner in #19

is a total pervert! :-)

#18 ,19

Is this the iranian version of victoria secret? sexy!!!

Numbers

3, 4, and 6 are really scary.  Not kidding you.  They SHOULD wear a veil to cover their faces.  LOL.
Number 14 is like our typical homeless dude. Sad. :-(
Number 33 resembles a very old Amish woman crossing the road. 
Number 40 is too disgusting.  Do they have any codes for killing non-humans?

Why arent they fighting the regime?

I demand that they stop living like normal people and fight this regime to their deaths! I've put so much effort into arguing for sanctions and now they play their daily normal lives like nothing has happened? How dare they? Is this how they thank me?!?

#1 is the proof

That Iranian gravitational force is shrinking!

Candid pictures My favorite is #11

There is another guy keeping the boxes steady! 

Everything is sacred