"Ironic, given the Iranian decision to install the Fundies, who turned out to be even more repressive than the Shah was."
Ironic, yes. But they needed to get rid of Mohammed Reza, and they made a mistake when they picked the people to replace him. That doesn't mean they deserve the "you made your bed, now rot in it" treatment.
Registered: Mar 1999
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"Since my Iran site didn't contain that in his bio, what'd he do? Anything specifically worse than other Middle Eastern leaders of his time?"
Well, I don't know much about other Mid-East leaders of the time. Though, my Hitler/Stalin reference wasn't meant to imply that he was anywhere on their level. They're just the most obvious examples.
The one story I remember from the book I mentioned was that, supposedly, he was visiting a village one day where the people were running out of food. He made inquiries and found out that the bread-bakers were hoarding the wheat to drive up prices. He went into the first bakery he came to and had the baker thrown into his oven and burned alive. The next day, there was affordable bread available all over the village.
I believe the book mentioned that this particular story may not have been 100% accurate, but apparently that's the sort of methodology he was known for.
Registered: Mar 1999
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"Since my Iran site didn't contain that in his bio, what'd he do? Anything specifically worse than other Middle Eastern leaders of his time?"
Well, I don't know much about other Mid-East leaders of the time. Though, my Hitler/Stalin reference wasn't meant to imply that he was anywhere on their level. They're just the most obvious examples.
The one story I remember from the book I mentioned was that, supposedly, he was visiting a village one day where the people were running out of food. He made inquiries and found out that the bread-bakers were hoarding the wheat to drive up prices. He went into the first bakery he came to and had the baker thrown into his oven and burned alive. The next day, there was affordable bread available all over the village.
I believe the book mentioned that this particular story may not have been 100% accurate, but apparently that's the sort of methodology he was known for.
He sounds positively Socialist! Damn greedy capitalist breadmakers!
Not to mention "legendary." Like Katherine the Great and the horse.
Anyway, who's giving Iran the "you made your bed" treatment? Nobody here. Last I heard, the US strongly supported democraticreform in Iran. Not surprising, given the amount of time that has gone by. Times change. Administrations moreso.
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
Registered: Mar 1999
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-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
Not that anyone here has said it, but what I hate seeing is people pointing at (Iranian President) Khatami and saying he's the bad guy. It's the hardliners who we should be worried about, not him. Khatami actually wants reform in his country.
Again, not that anyone has said it, just my two cents on modern day Iran...
posted
Actually, both articles mention him being a moderate.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
So the US stops Britain from intervening to protect British interests in Egypt/the Suez, then goes and intervenes for the British, to protect British interests, in Iran?
That baking story sounds almost like a parable, like Alexandercutting the Gordian Knot or a Mullah Nasruddin story. . . That's not to say it couldn't be true, I might add.
posted
My (probably completely skewed) view is that Iran can probably 'get there' on it's own, without American (or other) 'help'. They at least seem to try to modernize and very slowly move to some sort of democracy.
quote:Originally posted by Austin Powers: Like Germany and France...
Bush never called those countries "evil"....at worst they were once refered to as "old europe" and that was taken far out of context....and the term was Rumsfeld's.
....that's not to say Bush likes those countries or anything though.
Mabye they'd be part of an "Axis of Unhelpful? "Axis of Unsupportive"?
Mabye Bush will come up with a system for describing countries we dont care for using the silly "Terror Alert" as a standard: The highest level would be "Evil Countries". Next would come "Countries whose governments really suck" Then "Countries whose governments suck, but we do business with anyway" "Former World Powers that still think big" "Used to be Russians" "Probably wont last the year" "Trading partners that hate us" "Allies that hate us" "Owe us lots of money"
You get te idea: this way we'll have "threat level" names for everything and no one will really pay it attention anyway. Like the "Terror Level".
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
No, they make up the "Axis of Nations That Are Actually Quite Nice But Secretly Have Some Nasty Thoughts About America", or the "Axis of Somewhat Evil", or the "Axis of Occasionally Evil", or maybe the "Axis of Not So Much Evil Really As Just Generally Disagreeable".
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Dont you need three or more countries for an "Axis"? Mabye they'll make a few "Partnerships of dickweeds" or something..
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Damn greedy capitalist breadmakers!![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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