So, I was thinking about Iran again...
I was trying to think of why I get so riled up about Iran and not, say, Palestine/Israel. What it comes down to is that we ruined the Iranian peoples lives. The story goes like this.
In 1906, the Shah was dying. Shortly before his death he signed a new constitution which created a parliament and transfered the majority of power away from the monarchy. This democratization of Iran was firmly supported by the Shi'a clergy, the merchant class, and the urban elite. While its politics were anything but pretty, Iran operated as a constitutional monarchy up until 1953 when they attempted to nationalize their oil fields.
At this point, the United States Central Intelligence Agency began Operation Ajax. Operation Ajax, to put it simply, destroyed Iran's government. The Shah assumed tyrannical powers and with the help of the CIA and MOSSAD, Israel's secret police, suppressed all dissent. With the our help, the monarchy tortured and detained any dissidents. The Shah was overthrown in 1979. However, the system we helped him create remains largely the same to this day.
In short, we took the only functioning Islamic democracy in the world and smashed it to pieces. In its place we created a repressive brutal state that mauls its own citizens and threatens its neighbors. So when we hear that the we are once again subverting Iran we should realize we have been down that path before and that more intervention will only create more hatred. Instead, we should find ourselves echoing King Lear. "O, that way madness lies; let me shun that."
In 1906, the Shah was dying. Shortly before his death he signed a new constitution which created a parliament and transfered the majority of power away from the monarchy. This democratization of Iran was firmly supported by the Shi'a clergy, the merchant class, and the urban elite. While its politics were anything but pretty, Iran operated as a constitutional monarchy up until 1953 when they attempted to nationalize their oil fields.
At this point, the United States Central Intelligence Agency began Operation Ajax. Operation Ajax, to put it simply, destroyed Iran's government. The Shah assumed tyrannical powers and with the help of the CIA and MOSSAD, Israel's secret police, suppressed all dissent. With the our help, the monarchy tortured and detained any dissidents. The Shah was overthrown in 1979. However, the system we helped him create remains largely the same to this day.
In short, we took the only functioning Islamic democracy in the world and smashed it to pieces. In its place we created a repressive brutal state that mauls its own citizens and threatens its neighbors. So when we hear that the we are once again subverting Iran we should realize we have been down that path before and that more intervention will only create more hatred. Instead, we should find ourselves echoing King Lear. "O, that way madness lies; let me shun that."