For students of it and those who want to get a sense of what likely transpired, History is not a blueprint but a guide. Understanding Shah’s demise is one of those key moments that has and continues to be an enigma.
A large volume of documents from the direct and indirect impact of coordinated and uncoordinated events that brought Shah down remain secret even after 4 decades. Likely because too much of West’s hypocrisy may be exposed by how they handled the whole situation in Iran and how they treated their best long time friend. The problem of West was that unlike the rapist republic, and others that followed in the region and elsewhere, Shah was friendly with the West with best interest of Iran at heart. He made his share of mistakes and blunders but it is hard to argue that Iran with Shah was a pretty good place for Iranians and the pillar that held the whole region stable. His demise started a cluster fuck that is still ongoing; and a showcase of not just American incompetence in foreign affairs but broader Western hypocrisy and demise because it could not hold to its own core values.
Shah’s departure benefitted all the formal and informal extremists from Afghanistan to Iraq to Israel.
In a 2004 interview Margaret Thatcher noted rise of Reagan and Iranian revolution as the two most important events of the latter half of twentieth century. Reagan ushered in Friedman economics and the disparity we see today all over the world, and Iranian revolution was a prelude to “The End of History” and a world we see without any moral compass.
There is an expose of how Shah was treated by his “allies” and “friends” with the title of “A dying king”, ‘How one man’s death changed history’
http://adyingking.com/#trailer
website: http://http://adyingking.com/
I am not endorsing it as I have yet to see it but there are many Medical people who were close to this including Morton Coleman, Shah’s Oncologist in it. I’m hoping it sheds some light on what happened to Shah as politics of his historic departure from the scene are unavoidable. His demise was a major contributor to not just taking happiness from Iran but also start of a downhill trend for the world.
The dead king had no stronger enemy than himself.
Great prelude Shash! If every ex-commie were as objectively remorseful and rueful as you are about the late Shah, there would be a day when Iranians could mend fences for a better future!!! Good job buddy!
One of the saddest scenes in nature is that of an old lion getting weak and bruised, and being abandoned by his family and allies who prospered under his rule. Then, he is quickly surrounded by the vultures and the hyenas who want to kill him without thanking him for all the years that they fed off his leftovers.
And that’s how the Iranian youth, leftist/Islamist educated people treated their benefactor.
Faramarz,
The lion analogy is a good one. Even his own Savak betrayed him.
Inspector,
I do not think any semi-intelligent reader who knows anything about me and my blogs can call me a commie. Certainly calling you an ignoramus fascist would be easy enough of a response. However, I suspect your issue is much deepe and more complex. One day you are praising me and the next day you call me a commie. The problem with you and rest of your analogs and multiple user ID's along with Fred is 'I think therefore I'm right and my way or highway'.
Indeed, you and islimic republic are the same ilk. They happen to be Shi't and you happen to be some far right who knows what religion or cult. You both use the same name calling, dirty tricks, lie and innuendo to make whatever nonsense point it is you think you are making. Reason and balance is irrelevant. Please kindly avoid my occasional blogs.
Wish you speedy recovery.
I do my best to mind my own business, and not to get under anyone's skin... but... SAVAK was too stupid to betray anyone.
Shashoo
Have patience! wait about 50 years they will release all the documents about 1979 fiasco and future Abbas Milani of that era will analyze it for you.
Needless to say military industrial complex needs an enemy to survive and thrive, yesterday it was evil soviets, today neanderthal islamists, tomorrow will be some thing else!
Cheers
MRX,
There are points of inflection in histroy. The slimic repubic was that for Iran and by extension the world. Erteja' won and IMHO there will be no Iran as we knew it.
Eisenhower had warned of the Industrial complex you mention, and it is mightier and more mercenary than ever. With hindsight, Fukuyama's read on post Soviet histroy was quite accurate.
The good thing about the Internet is that individuals can make assertions without any data, proof or evidence of any kind. I believe the US spends just over 3% of GDP on its military (and, by way of comparison, over 17% on healthcare):
https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/defense_spending
Amir,
I'm not sure if I follow your point or veiled comment about individuals making assertions. I made no reference to budget size nor it is directly relevant: U.S. size of defense budget is not in top 10 by percentage (mostly Arab countries) by it is largest by far in size. The F-35, and several other pet projects have wasted tens of billion dollars each and not because engineers suck but because a bill of goods was sold (AKA mil-ind. complex), or invading Iraq when Bin Ladin was hiding in Afghanistan and a slew of other lies an innuendo that translated into somewhere near 2 trillion waste of tax payer money in the pockets of you know who and pushing U.S. into "financial crisis". No one who is slightly familiar Pentagon and darling comppaies from Lockheed to Boeing questions the mil-ind undue power and influence. Selling of 1/3 of a Trillion worth of weapons to SA just 2 months ago also was no favor to tax payers or any political stability.
The health spending percentage is also no indicator of anything but massive waste and fraud with some of the brand names in health pocketing tens of billions by providing services to illegals while donating to Trump. Many EU countries with excellent health systems and often better than U.S. spend half of what U.S. does and they have fully nationalized health.
I don't mind a discussion on this topic but let's avoid innuendo and hyperbole.
Shashoo,
My "veiled" comment (as you call it) was not really directed at you -- it was more a general point. I find it slightly odd that you purport to take issue with "hyperbole", given that all I did was state facts precisely in order to correct and to place into proper context and proportion hyperbolic and exaggerated claims about the military-industrial complex (namely, that the US spends just over 3% of GDP on its military, a percentage that has been significantly higher in past decades, versus over 17% on healthcare, a number that has been and likely will continue to rise for a number of reasons more fundamental than the ones you state in your reply). I'm not here to defend the many deficiencies, injustices, shortcomings and imbalances of the US -- simply to state some salient facts and perhaps suggest that the US of the 21st Century isn't some latter day hyper-militarized Sparta or Prussia. C'est tout. Regards.
Amir,
I read your initial comment again. It is in direct response to my comment and MRX’s earlier about Industrial Complex. The language you use is accusatory even if you do not intend it that way.
United States is not a police state, yet. Unless you are Black or live in certain parts of the country. Whether it is Sparta or some version of it, remains to be seen. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Percentage and even size of military spending is no indication of its ‘state’ or ‘intent’ of affairs. Russia’s budget relative to U.S. is rather small but the last few years and recent influence in election of Donald Duck for president shows the morphing nature of war and military industrial complex. Snowden exposed some of it. Dinky NK with a relative negligible budget is 1984.
Election of DD is the embodiment of power of the few. U.S. military satellites dominate the space around earth. And whether by hook or crook DD presidency has a certain direction that is neither democracy nor some version of benevolent leadership. If you get to the point where you live in Sparta before you notice it, then there is little you can do about it including writing or speaking.