Elon Musk Activates Starlink For Iranian Citizens (teslarati.com) 42
Elon Musk announced that he was activating Starlink in response to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's tweet announcing the issuing of a General License to provide the Iranian people with access to digital communications. Teslarati reports: Currently, in Iran, massive protests are happening as a result of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was detained by the morality police for her head scarf not being properly worn. Although she had no known heart-related health problems, the police said she suddenly died of heart failure. Eyewitnesses said that she was beaten and her head hit the side of a police car. This along with leaked medical scans suggested cerebral hemorrhage and stroke. In response to her death, there have been several large-scale protests across Iran that received international support from world leaders, celebrities, and organizations.
The Iranian government sided with the morality police and has been suppressing the protests, shooting protestors with metal pellets and birdshot, and deploying tear gas and water cannons. The government also blocked access to many apps including Instagram and WhatsApp and limited internet access to prevent protestors from organizing. This is where Starlink comes in. A few days ago, Elon Musk said that Starlink would seek exemption from Iranian sanctions. This was in response to @Erfankasraie who asked if Elon could provide Starlink to the Iranian people. "It could be a game changer for the future." Elon also responded, "OK," to @agusantonetti who asked if he could do the same for other countries under a dictatorship such as Cuba. Further reading: As Unrest Grows, Iran Restricts Access To Instagram, WhatsApp
The Iranian government sided with the morality police and has been suppressing the protests, shooting protestors with metal pellets and birdshot, and deploying tear gas and water cannons. The government also blocked access to many apps including Instagram and WhatsApp and limited internet access to prevent protestors from organizing. This is where Starlink comes in. A few days ago, Elon Musk said that Starlink would seek exemption from Iranian sanctions. This was in response to @Erfankasraie who asked if Elon could provide Starlink to the Iranian people. "It could be a game changer for the future." Elon also responded, "OK," to @agusantonetti who asked if he could do the same for other countries under a dictatorship such as Cuba. Further reading: As Unrest Grows, Iran Restricts Access To Instagram, WhatsApp
And the equipment? (Score:5, Insightful)
Where will they get the dish and transceiver?
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Probably the same corridors they use to smuggle drugs from Iran to Turkey [al-monitor.com]
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there are a few different kinds of smuggling, some of them have state involvement (think Iran Contra [wikipedia.org]) , in others the state may be aware, but turns a blind eye, and finally the completely outlaw form of smuggling against all state enforcement.
Imo, human and gold trafficking between Turkey and Iran, is likely state sponsored, moving contraband like opium out of Iran and Jonnie Walker back in would be in either the state ignored or outlaw smuggling and starlinks would be in the outlaw category. These intercou
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B-2 stealth airdrop.
Re: And the equipment? (Score:1)
Even if you hate Elon Musk, StarLink is amazing (Score:5, Insightful)
Even if you think everything else Elon Musk has done is worth nothing for some reason, the fact StarLink is around now and is working in places like Ukraine and Iran has been a huge blessing to the people of the Earth.
It provides a really easy way to route around true dictatorships that lock down communications, with fairly compact equipment.
I do wonder how they are going to get StarLink receivers into Iran... or maybe that's been happening for a while and there are a lot already there (likely).
Thanks Elon for providing a truly global communications platform that can work for everyone with reasonable speed and decent cost.
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Hint: Russia isn't the only culprit in the Ukrainian war.
Agreed. That Lukashenko guy in Belarus could use a bullet in the head as well.
How is it the government? (Score:5, Insightful)
The fact that the US government uses it to bypass the communications of sovereign nations without their permission
It's not the U.S. government doing it, it's a private company and that communication goes to anyone, not just the U.S. government.
The U.S. government only gave permission for StarLink to provide service there, which normally they would allow for anyone. So it's only withdrawing a very specific restriction not generally found.
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Elon has pissed off Russia and now is about to piss off Iran (both in a good way). And probably worries China and a bunch of other countries.
I wonder if he has extra security measures in place. And if senior management in Tesla / SpaceX, and the investors are concerned at his increased risk profile, since he is closely associated with his companies. Anything happens to him, it will throw a spanner in the works of his companies.
After all he seems to be the driving force in his companies to fulfill his vision
Most would carry on I think (Score:1)
Anything happens to him, it will throw a spanner in the works of his companies.
I think StarLink is far enough along that it would carry on anyway.
Also Tesla would probably be able to do OK, though without Musk maybe they would not push for self driving as hard.
SpaceX though I agree, I think they would stagnate without Musk's drive to improve, possibly they are far enough along to deliver the heavy launch vehicle though (Starship) and that would be enough to last them of r a very long time since it would hug
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The fact that the US government uses it to bypass the communications of sovereign nations without their permission is not a huge blessing to the people of the Earth. It's yet another opportunity for yet more people to hate the US for yet again virtually invading whoever the fuck they want and spreading their own brand of fake democracy instead of minding their own business, and that heightens tensions everywhere.
Once we see members of the legislature of that country shouting "death to America" I doubt there's anything we can do to move the needle on how much America is hated. They hate America because Americans are free. Do you believe we can do anything to make them hate us any less? Our very existence shows their way of life is a lie. They can't claim to offer the best life there can be so long as America exists to prove them wrong. The only way tensions can be reduced is if America ceased to exist.
Re:Even if you hate Elon Musk, StarLink is amazing (Score:5, Informative)
Once we see members of the legislature of that country shouting "death to America" I doubt there's anything we can do to move the needle on how much America is hated. They hate America because Americans are free. Do you believe we can do anything to make them hate us any less? Our very existence shows their way of life is a lie. They can't claim to offer the best life there can be so long as America exists to prove them wrong. The only way tensions can be reduced is if America ceased to exist.
It's because America has been meddling in their country for a long time.
America's involvement in overthrowing it's democractically elected government and installing the disliked Shah(who was pro Western powers) is the reason the Ayatollahs managed to take over.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Reap what you sow.
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They hate America because Americans are free.
Can you explain what you mean by this? Because it's ridiculous on its face.
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While Russia is obviously not the only culprit in the war that was well over a decade in the making, the fundamental question after the war of conquest is up is "do people have a right to decide how their sovereign nation functions?"
If Ukrainians didn't fight for it, they would have indeed surrendered that right, and whatever empire came to grab them would have a right to their land by the right of conquest. But they decided to unite and fight.
And that makes the great power conflict that lead to this war la
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Iran's government is illegal and rules people by submission and force. It has no business being recognized by anyone. If your neighbor is abusing his family it IS your business. Otherwise, it is pointless even to be a human. You have to intervene cause it is the right thing to do. If it causes your neighbor to hate you, fight it out. I feel like intervening, and it's our business if we want to intervene .. maybe YOU ought to stay out of it. Does anyone hate Russia for making AK-47s? Pretty sure nobody will
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Even if you think everything else Elon Musk has done is worth nothing for some reason, the fact StarLink is around now and is working in places like Ukraine and Iran has been a huge blessing to the people of the Earth.
I agree. I am no Musk fan at all, but I will give him props for this. Information wants to be free.
Re: Even if you hate Elon Musk, StarLink is amazin (Score:1)
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How? He won't launch newer tech?
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I have this great idea for a new TV show, the premise is simple. We just stick the above poster in a gloryhole and line up trump, putin, and every other low life gop 'celebrity', while above poster acts on their urges and slobbers away happily on a supply of right-wing knobs
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Why, because Liberals can't have a good opinion about Marines, or because you want it to be true?
Face it, anyone these days who believes that the election was stolen, or that the media is lying about all the cases against Trump, etc., is a cultist.
Suggesting that the OP is a liberal flying a false flag makes me believe you are one too. Are you?
100% awesome. (Score:1)
Meanwhile (Score:1)
People will complain about how the Iranian people will use this.
How they themselves would have supported the Iranian women.
How Elon is evil because he does not support the unions.
How the islamic veil is really freedom instead of slavery.
How Islams war, really is peace.
How ignorance really is strength.
Long live freedom.
Slava Ukraini.
Activate Starlink in China? (Score:1)
What about "the internet freedom and the free flow of information" of the Chinese?
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What about "the internet freedom and the free flow of information" of the Chinese?
What and lose all those Tesla sales?
Not to mention that nice factory. Shame if something were to happen to it.
Elon Musk is a douchebag (Score:2)
Why Elon? (Score:2)
The US govt should provide this capability. Why make a private company absorb the costs, or have to rely on one?