caeron

Perhaps you might wish to read the NY times pieces that investigated and broke the story. I find their vetting valid, and I believe the victims.

This thread is why victims don't come forward. They don't get believed, they get accused of having motives and lying, and they get blamed for their own victimization. Apparently, they're also responsible for abusing other women too. Powerful men get away with shit while victims get re-victimized. I believe them. If evidence comes to light that disproves their claim, then I will change my mind. But, you get nothing but grief for coming forward. You don't do that without a strong reason to.

If you haven't been, Shinjuku ni-chome is the traditional gay location in Tokyo. I recall getting accosted on the street there by a young Japanese guy who was totally into my western Salary Man vibe. The fact that he felt coming at me on the street was sort of wonderful. Alas, I had other interests at the time. To me, at least, Shinjuku ni-chome is a bit of a pilgrimage site, the heart of old tokyo gay life. But, I've not used any of the agencies yet, so can offer no comment on them.

Most things seem to have zero effects on human rights. If you're violating human rights, you more or less by definition don't care what other people think.

Saying "there is some justice in" brings politics in already. I am not of the foolish school who believes that if one party is bad, the other must be good. They can both be bad.

While I think a great number of Iranians want change, there is no organized opposition in Iran. Change to who? There isn't anybody there to take the reins away. I think the only realistic hope is that we get a new version of the supreme leader who will capitulate on Trump's asks. (no nukes, no regional meddling, no missiles.) I think even that unlikely.

I share Unicorn's desire to visit Iran. Unfortunately, they are known to take western hostages and I have many familial links to the US military and intelligence community, so travel today seems very, very unwise. I very much hope one day a better Iran emerges that I might be able to visit.

Yup, America Fuck Yeah! We can kick anybody's ass. We often do. What happens after? Who cares, cause fuck yeah, we kicked their ass! Did you see how we freedom'd those terrorist muthafuckers into the ground. America! Freedom! Freedom and Guns! Guns and some Freedom, but especially Guns! Guns are Freedom! If you shoot them, it's freedom, so they deserved it. Let's freedom the world! We're going to need a LOT of ammunition for that! (I am appalled by the behavior of the current administration, and by much of my country's historical behavior. I can mock it, but I can't change it. But none of that excuses similar behavior in others. If we condemn it, we condemn it everywhere with what small influence we have on the outcome. Often merely our voices.)

A quick google shows me two reported executions in 2022, and two in 2021. I imagine there are others. I'm not going to defend the west's behavior, but that doesn't make what the Iranian government does any bit better. I think you can think both parties are bad. Like Israel's government and Hamas. It is, perhaps, possible that bombs will change the Iranian government, but I think it very unlikely. Magical thinking. I think the most likely outcome is that the Revolutionary Guard will tighten their grip on a country in shambles.

If you're a fan of the Islamic regime in Iran, you are really in the wrong place here. You can get the death penalty there for gay sex.

Trump is corrupt. That doesn't make the 'supreme leader' any less of a monster. Thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of protesters have been murdered by the regime. Not that bombing will help. A new 'supreme leader' will arise in time and the cycle will repeat.

I think it is more than a stretch to accuse the widow of being a swindler when you actually know nothing at all about their finances. The sources you cite may be wrong, as your original sources that suggest he was wealthy were unreliable. I did see a video of him which said he had no residuals from dawson creek. I'm not giving, but I see no reason to insult the widow.

And I imagine the public sex is at least partially because most of them have nowhere else they could go.

I am very dubious about the websites that supposedly report individual's wealth, since they seem to just pull these numbers out of the air. It could well be that he wasn't that well off. Look at his career, it was mostly bit parts and small films. I doubt residuals from Dawson's Creek were that significant. That said, I wouldn't personally give. Like you, I figure they've got other options. The charities I give to like Doctors without Borders are for people who don't.

If I wanted to hire a truck driver, a bar isn't my first choice of places to look.