I very clearly mentioned the 1925-1979 social progress, but even during that time it was a centralized autocratic power under the singular rule of the Shah, and then it was simultaneously invaded by the UK and the USSR in 1941 before the 1953 coup turned the tides in the USA’s favor until the 1979 revolution turned it back the other way towards the CCP’s favor.
It’s great to oppose authoritarianism, but it’s that disgusting bootlicking you people do where you defend some authoritarianism while condemning others that really pisses me off.
Samskara@sh.itjust.works 13 hours ago
Mossadegh wasn’t the perfect democrat, he’s often painted as in hindsight. How he dissolved parliament wasn’t exactly transparent, and his empowerment law gave him too powers of a dictator. His rule by decree wasn’t the most democratic either.
The Shah was a strict authoritarian, sure. However what the Islamists did once they gained power was far worse than the Shah. In the first year the Ayatollahs killed more people than the Shah did in throughout his reign. Iranians had more freedoms and overall better lives under the Shah than afterwards.
At the time the world powers cared more about stability, economic power, energy availability, spheres of influence than democratic rule. Remember that in the 1950s decolonization hadn’t really started yet. The British Empire was deteriorating, but still around and fighting for its existence. So they wanted to have friendly rulers in the oil rich countries in the region. Oil was increasingly the key to economic prosperity. The new kings all over the region (Jordan, UAE, Iraq, etc.) had been British allies against the Ottoman Empire back during WW1. Keeping these allies happy and in power was seen as essential for keeping influence in the region and creating stability.
It’s doubtful the British and Americans would have intervened in Iran, if they had not nationalized to oil industry so abruptly.
tl;dr western meddling bad, mullah regime worse
shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 5 hours ago
Agree that Mossadegh was imperfect but, in the eyes of many, Western meddling was one direct cause of the Mullah regime and the hipocrisy of claiming to stand for democracy while installing autocratic puppets around the world is all too apparent.