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Author Topic: Iran Sentencing Game Developer to Death  (Read 11657 times)
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J3E125
 

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« on: 2012-01-11, 04:48 »

Quote from:  Kotaku
Following a televised confession to spying on Iran for the Central Intelligence Agency, Amir Mizra Hekmati has been sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolutionary Court. The former United States marine has allegedly admitted to, among other things, spreading American propaganda and misinformation via Kuma Reality Games,a New York-based game developer.

 A purported transcription of Hekmati's confession details his involvement with Kuma. It states:

"After (working for DARPA), I went to Kuma (Games Company). This computer company was receiving money from the CIA to (produce) and design and distribute for free special movies and games with the aim of manipulating public opinion in the Middle East. The goal of the company in question was to convince the people of Iran and the people of the entire world that whatever the U.S. does in other countries is a good measure."

While his involvement with the CIA remains to be seen, Kotaku has discovered Hekmati did, in fact, work with Kuma on a game for developing language skills. The project was funded by the Department of Defense.

The US government has outright denounced allegations concerning Hekmati's affiliation. Speaking to The New York Times, Tommy Vietor of the White House's National Security Council said "Allegations that Mr. Hekmati either worked for, or was sent to Iran by the CIA are false. The Iranian regime has a history of falsely accusing people of being spies, of eliciting forced confessions, and of holding innocent Americans for political reasons." Vietor went on to demand Hekmati's release.

Holy crap, if this is ever confirmed, it'll be another excuse to start a war. Doomed
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Thomas Mink
 

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« Reply #1 on: 2012-01-11, 05:25 »

Maybe I'm just retarded in thinking so.. but.. when you're in another country, you should abide by their rules. I don't care how 'evil' they are.

If that story is true, the Department of Defense brought it on themselves and only have themselves to blame.
If the story is not true, and the guy is sentenced to death for no reason, then.. I have no idea.

Regardless of which side is right.. I just can't help but sigh and say, "And some people wonder why I hate humanity.."
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« Reply #2 on: 2012-01-11, 07:41 »

Your not the only one Mink. I really hope it isn't true but you never know. But your right, play nice in someone else back yard or pay the price. Although death really isn't right IMO. Seems a bit harsh. But it's their country. I can only see bad things coming out of that though. Slipgate - Sad
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Phoenix
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« Reply #3 on: 2012-01-11, 09:59 »

It's impossible for us to know whether he was spying or not, but given Iran's history of accusing anyone from America of being a spy, I tend to err on the side of innocence.  Let's not forget about the hikers that accidentally strayed across their border.  If he actually is a CIA operative... well, it's a risky game and he knew the consequences for getting caught going in.

I don't think this is reason to start a war over.  Rushing to war in Afghanistan and Iraq, whether you think they were justified or not, failed to achieve the stated desired results.  Lessons that should have been learned from Korea and Vietnam were forgotten.  Engaging Iran in the same kind of "limited" war would be even more disastrous, and with a $15+ trillion debt hanging over the USA, the country simply cannot afford any more foreign wars, be they justified or not.

I do think that people with American citizenship should stop going to Iran since it is a hostile country and has a habit of using innocent people from countries it dislikes as political pawns.  Hopefully this guy is innocent and gets set free.  We'll have to wait and see.
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« Reply #4 on: 2012-01-11, 10:13 »

I hope your right Pho. I don't want to see another conspiracy theory on our hands. It's already WAAAY out of control as it is...


 
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J3E125
 

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« Reply #5 on: 2012-01-12, 00:02 »

I'd wondered what the Iranians will do if you mis-thought. I mean, they're suspected of creating weapons of mass destruction, and already having been in a war. Unfortunately, I'm an American. Slipgate - Surprised
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Phoenix
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« Reply #6 on: 2012-01-12, 09:09 »

The problem isn't that they're creating WMD's, it's that if they are then the problem is first that they're lying about it to the entire world, second that they've been a known state sponsor of terrorism for decades, and third that Ahmedinijad is a religious zealot that believes the entire region needs to be thrown into a bloody conflict in order for the 12th Imam to reappear and usher in Islam's golden age of peace - and believes that he's the one destined to do it.  Compare that to a nation in the region believed to already have nuclear weapons yet has never used them, is under constant threat of annihilation by its neighbors, and has been attacked repeatedly in force several times since the very first day it declared independence in the region.  I'm referring to Israel in this case.  Nobody's concerned about them having WMD's since they tend to not make statements calling for the utter destruction of their neighbors.

WMD's aren't in and of themselves a problem.  Like any technology, it's who is in control and their intent that matters.  In the hands of peace-loving people they're harmless, but in the hands of madmen... well that's the problem.
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ReBoOt
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« Reply #7 on: 2012-01-15, 10:53 »

Well it whould be alot better if no one had WMD's at all.. It's strange that the "evolved" human beeings still can't solve problems without killing but i suppose we will never see true peace in along time
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fourier
 
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« Reply #8 on: 2012-01-15, 20:22 »

Not as long as politicians run countries... or governments make decisions for and steal money from their slaves/subjects/servants for its purposes which are not for the benefit of its people (hmmm, about 90% of its budget?).

I've said it before: What did the average American have against the average Russian that wasn't borne out of government propaganda during the Cold War?  And how easily could a tiny fraction of 1 percent of the human population have caused a massive nuclear holocaust due to their insecurities, and their lust for power and control?

Humans are easy to control so long as they have their basic needs met.  They become complacent and unwilling to do things which may threaten their existence, even if they perceive something to be unjust.  All governments need to do to remain in power is make sure there is risk to the individual's interests associated with standing against the government and ensure that the majority of its population is provided for enough that they can get by.  It's the balancing of oppression.

Getting people to actually stand up and against their oppressors and wrongdoers is extremely difficult if those people have their needs met as things are.  So governments remain in power.  They consolidate resources of which the majority is used for military purposes (which in the hands of moral and intelligent people would probably be used for the betterment of all humankind through advancing science -- it's sad that almost all technology has come from necessity during war) to ensure other governments don't take their power away.

In my opinion, true anarchy would be better than government control (since true anarchy implies no consolidation of control -- no society), but I don't think true anarchy is possible considering human nature.  There will be people who desire power and to control others and those who want to be controlled.

Most governments today have overstepped what they should be limited to by miles and miles.  Honestly, beyond simple rules (don't kill, don't steal), I don't see a need for a "government".  I see a need for officials in charge of certain aspects (water, roads, etc), but no need for any consolidated entity making decisions with convoluted design.

The problem is, if such a place existed, it would be taken over by some oppressive government.

We live in a disgusting world where freedom is long gone.  Everything is owned and controlled by governments, each of which paid nothing for them unless it was coming from another entity whose authority was acknowledged.  Greed and lust for power and control run this world.

So yeah, true peace won't exist until the average intelligence increases, but given that less intelligent people are more likely to reproduce early and have more children, and more intelligent people have fewer (or no) children and with a larger generation gap, I don't see how that model will get any better. 

I would say that the intelligent, moral people need to unite and find a way to separate themselves from the other people so as to no longer help the immoral and corrupt make more war, and remain that way long enough to consolidate a more advanced power in the hands of the moral to remove the immoral and corrupt and offer the general population a much better life while also having peace.  I would say that... but in my mind that is way beyond humanity due to human nature and humankind's tendency for corruption.  I don't see any difference from people 1000, 2000 years ago -- the same good and evil existed in humans then as it does now.  We are more knowledgeable, but we still have the same human nature.

/rant
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ReBoOt
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« Reply #9 on: 2012-01-15, 22:55 »

hear hear!
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Phoenix
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« Reply #10 on: 2012-01-15, 23:14 »

I'm rather impressed, fourier.  You're one of the few people I've encountered that understands the underlying problem is with human nature itself.  Introspection is very rare in the species.
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J3E125
 

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« Reply #11 on: 2012-01-16, 00:36 »

I'm rather impressed, fourier.  You're one of the few people I've encountered that understands the underlying problem is with human nature itself.  Introspection is very rare in the species.
I would count you phoenix. Id like to say alien species understand others more than themselves.
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fourier
 
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« Reply #12 on: 2012-01-17, 17:30 »

Thanks Phoenix.  I'm lazy these days most of the time.  I don't care to get into these things since I've known them for years and there are two primary responses: either the person already knows it or the person refuses to accept it.  On a very rare occasion do I find the person in the middle -- the one who doesn't know it but is open minded.

I've grown very weary of trying to open people's minds.  And if I don't believe in humanity or believe it can change, I just don't see the point in getting into this stuff anymore.  I am still tempted to chime in once in a while; sometimes I start writing something, but then erase it all and say it's not worth it -- because of those two primary responses...

I think we met in the process of my recession from discussing these things.  I used to write so much and waste so much time on people.  Now I'm guilty of apathy, which in the larger view has the same effect as ignorant complacency.  I don't see any reason to try to help humanity as a whole given their nature, though.  Even if we could attain this utopia, they'd corrupt it again.  Until they advance beyond their pettiness and self-interest, nothing will change.
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Woodsman
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« Reply #13 on: 2012-01-18, 16:09 »

I love how when Iran decides to execute someone for something like say, looking at boobies, so many enlightened people are concerned that everyone respect Iran's sovereignty. As long as the country is Iran, China, Sudan, or Pakistan.

 But when a man in America is sentenced to death for murder and rape, suddenly human rights do matter! and you can bet your ass the swiss are going to nominate him for the nobel peace prize.

 

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