[don_esteban]

Empathy means understanding that nationalism is a powerful force and even people who are against their government would support their government against external aggressor.

Empathy means that you understand that what YOU consider terrorism might mean 'supporting self-determination of oppressed and occupied people' by somebody else. Is it so difficult to understand that ordinary Iranians do not see their government as international supporters of terrorism?

I was 19 in 1989. While I do not claim to understand geopolitical realities in their entirety, I was old enough to distinctly remember how surprising the fall of communism felt. Despite almost all people I knew being (low-level, passive) anti-communists, nobody saw it really coming until the last few months. In fact, in June 1989, I had a choice to make - either to go to a competition to West Germany, or go with friends hiking to Caucasus. The choice was obvious - go to West Germany, who knows when will be the next chance to see The West. On the other hand, I could go to Caucasus anytime.... we know how that turned out to be.

[hunterpayne]

> "almost all people I knew being (low-level, passive) anti-communists"

Nice pet elephant

[don_esteban]

Please explain, not everybody is native English speaker.

Have you lived in communistic (or otherwise authoritarian) country?