No one could have said it any better, 
Posted on 12/24/2005 2:49:36 AM PST by F14 Pilot
Which, of course, is to the man's credit, I guess. I do know he had very ambitious plans for his country's sad-sack infrastructure, but that the people who surrounded him siphoned off the funds that should have been spent on very well planned projects. As a result they, in large part, never happened.
Oddly enough, one of the things that his government or regime was accomplishing was redistributing the massive land-holdings of the mullahs and religious institutions to the peasants. Even though he was paying for the properties, this really put the ayatollahs' knickers (if indeed they wear them) in knots and helped seal the Shah's doom. He was, of course, leaving the huge holdings of his family and their corrupt cronies largely intact.
Of course, these are the very people, in exile, who now peddle the "our beloved Shah" codswallop. Jimmy Carter abandoned a "dunce sitting on a volcano."
Carter sold out the entire world. He prolonged the life of the soviet union, propped up many other bloody dictators, and helped them murder millions of people. For this he gets the Nobel peace prize.
My point is leaders in places where there is NO tradition of self-government, the 'warts' on that leader shouldn't be magnified to the point that obscure the whole picture of the leaders rule. (Thats why I brought Franco & Pinochet)
The Shah was the best choice availiable for the interests of the west(USA & UK) at the time. He continued to be the best choice right until Jimmy Carter pulled the rug out from underneath him. Also at the time their were 10s of thousands Americans in Iran(someone told me 50000 but that seems too high!) Whatever the true numbers were, it meant our 'footprint' was large and irritating !
Would it have been best for US interests if the US had made the effort to keep the Shah in power. I would say yes ! Khomeni's revolution gave islamic fundametalism its first taste of victory. It emboldened other likewise thinking though not necessairyly allied fundamemtalist groups, e.g. Islamic Brotherhood (they killed Sadat!)etc. Also Hizbollah might not exist! Kicking the Soviet out of Afghanistan would not have required deals with the 'devil' meaning the Sunni fundamentalists ,e,g, Wahabbist etc. We could have worked out of Iran instead of Pakistan (still maybe both!) but maybe with a little better 'control' not so many 'third parties' to deal with. Lots of interesting speculation here but it didn't happen so talking about it is nothing more then a beer & pretzels grad school talkathon !
Apparently you are Iranian and I am pleased to communicate with you. I read (long before the internet)a book that stated Ford had released billions to the Shah to upgrade a waterfront, deep water port. When Jimmuh came in, he dispatched some businessmen, friends of his, to Iran where they told the government they were here to "consult" and that they wanted 20% of the foriegn aid. The Iranians realized they had no input fot the project and told them to get lost. THIS was the catalyst of the animosity between Carter and the Shah.Any knowledge?
In addition to what you listed, Carter also established the Teacher's Union, which has systematically destroyed public education in this country ever since.
No one could have said it any better,
mark
============================================
Utter nonsense. The UFT and the NEA both existed long before Carter was on the scene.
When spies give away the store you can do your best to conduct a damage assessment and take action. When Carter did his damage it was on such a monumental scale we paid the price almost immediately and it was continuous. The enemies of America were running rampant (Central America, Middle East, the Soviet Bloc) against us convinced, correctly so, we would not stand up to them. We also can't forget the double digit inflation, interest, and unemployment rates we had under Carter. And what was his response???? He disappeared at Camp David for several days and when he got back he gave a speech in which he blamed the American people for the problems (their malaise). I can make my blood pressure go up just thinking about that A-hole in the White House.
That's how we got slapped in the face by the Iranian radicals. Carter brought us nothing but helicopters crashing in the desert in a failed rescue attempt of our hostages.
For the younger folk who don't remember those days, believe me, the humiliation was endless. It went on and on and on and on...news reports every day detailing "This is day "---" of the Iranian hostage crisis." And it only ended when Reagan was elected, that's when the hostages were freed.
You are totally right!
I heard this from my father and now it seems to be very true
Not me.
lol
me neither
I wonder if he/she is a DUmmie agent here
This Bible-Beating Baptist Bunco Artist was a crook in Georgia, and just as much of one in the WH. The fact that he is revered as a saint in certian quarters is a triumph of the PR man's art.
He is a vicious, vindictive, highly partisan, little, micro-managing jackass who couldn't find his arse with both hands and a mirror. The Georgian Mafia he ran probably taught Bill Clinton a thing or two. You want the book on Jimmuh? Find out what Admiral Rickover had to say about him.
Fristly, I have found the comments on this site and subject fascinating - especially the degree of interest in the unfortunate events of some 28 years ago that led to the current climate of terror worldwide.
What happened in Iran in the late 70's and the so-called revolution is a complex issue. It is a culmination of many variables including social, political, cultural, religious, economic and strategic, both domestically (Iran) and internationally(USA and European).
The Shah was NOT a tyrant, depending on your point of reference. He was NOT an edi Amin, Saddam, Pinochet or Khomeini and his thugs, as a few examples. He WAS a patriot and a true one at that. SAVAK was no worse than any other intelligence agency (including some current western ones) and corruption has never been unique to the Iran and the cronies of the Shah's court (these alone are no excuses for a revolution!). Yes, the Shah made mistakes and a few grave ones. Personally, I think that he could have been firmer and more resolute in handling the riots at their onset. In my opinion, he should have been more aware and in tune with the needs of his people rather than being so single minded in implementing his vision for a secular and modern Iran. I think, partly, it was a vision being implemented too quickly and not aligned with the cultural and social maturity/reality of most of the Iranian population. He once said that the single unifying point for Iran was "the King, the Monarch". I think that holds true but, equally, the other more unifying point, certainly at the time for Iran, was "RELIGION" i.e. Shite Islam. Perhaps, not among a few educated, westernized Iranians, but certainly for the majority of average people there. Progress is a great thing provided your average population mindset can keep up with it.
As for the role of Carter, personally I think he was a weak, ignorant man. His mistakes were graver than the Shah's. The main difference is that Carter's mistakes affected the world (as we witness now) more intensely than the Shah's. Carter's actions gave birth to what we call Islamic Fundamentalism. The alliance of reds (communists) and blacks (Islamists) contributed to the Shah's downfall -they used call themselves Islamic Marxists (a ridiculous term and in essence a contradiction). Since early 90's and decline of communism, religion has taken a more prominent role - Islam as preached by a few megalomaniacs has become the new communism and I think it is harder to defeat it. One can argue with a head of State decree but, for most who believe, one will find it very difficult to argue when words and actions are prompted on behalf of God!
Looking forward:
America often has played the big brother worldwide. I think it is a good thing at times provided America and the American government, in particular, fully understands the culture, history and nuances of a country and its people when it chooses to intervene. Since 9/11, I think the western world has become less insular and more aware of the Middle Eastern culture, its traditions and requirements. The same applies to European countries such as France and Britain. You can bet your bottom dollar that most Middle Easterns are very savvy about Western way of life and culture and it can work to the advantage of those who preach violence. What we view in the West as a tyrant, within limits, is often viewed as a strong leader in the Middle East, feared yes, but is respected. Democracy as we know it in the West is not something that can be exported. It is a lengthy process. It will take generations to be successfully implemented. Are we prepared to put the time and effort in for some self expediency or altruism? There are no fast solutions.
I firmly believe that the Shah was NOT a tyrant and F14 pilot: the Shah was not running a constitutional monarchy. He was ruling not reigning - he was an Absolute Monarch not a Constitutional Monarch. But I do believe, at the time, it was necessary. The Shah and his father only ruled for 50 years in total. That is a very short time to bring about ambitious changes for a country with 2500 years turbulent history and firmly embedded traditions. An analogy would be: when there is a massive fire in your house, do you take immediate action to put out the fire or do you start taking votes as who and what should be done to put out the fire? The Shah's father, who founded the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran, was a SOLDIER and held those values.
Finally, I am unsure if the Shah's son will be able to re-establish "Constitutional" Monarchy in Iran. But I do know that his people are absolutely fed up with the current thugs in Iran and are suffocating. As long as they are suffocating, the West will not be spared either - it has become a small world, very connected and dependent one at that.
Where is our friend Jimmy Carter now to promote human rights in Iran ? Has he had a waking dream ?
I believe, the best thing the West can do right now, is, at least, not to throw a continuous life line to the Mullahs and these charlatans who conduct atrocities in the name of God. If the Ayatollahs call America the Great Satan, I am so sure that they teach Satan a few tricks!
Good Post!
Thanks and welcome to freerepublic
you are welcome.
It is a perspective to be very apt and true.
Ya think Carter knows how much he SUCKS? Neither does Clinton!
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