Iran, Then and Now

[Sojourner]

Prior to the Islamic revolution in 1979, life in Iran was vastly different than it is today. The Shah -- King Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was  facilitating sweeping social and economic changes that modernized and westernized the ancient nation. Cordial relations with western countries, industrialization, an increase in educational opportunities and women's rights highlighted the administration. And while no formal diplomatic ties with Israel were in place, Iran was one of the first Muslim nations to recognize Israel's right to exist, and a pragmatic, peaceful coexistence between the two was the status quo. A stark contrast to the tension and animosity that exists today.

Eventually however, extravagance, corruption, and increasing authoritarian power exercised by the Shah left a large segment of the population disgruntled. Presumptuous actions by the Shah, such as banning religious garb in public, fueled discontent among the more traditional-minded Iranians who disliked the growing westernization of Iran. In February of 1979, revolutionary fervor swept the country, overthrowing the Shah who fled for his life, and the government was replaced by an Islamic republic, led by radically Muslim leadership. Below is a link to an article chronicling the 40 year reign of the Shah, which ended with the dramatic transformation that exists today. https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-before-the-revolution-in-photos-2015-4?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

[Fenris]

Iran now:

The Mullahs were having a vote on who the next Supreme Leader (TM) was going to be.

Israel bombed the meeting.

[Sojourner]

Candidates throwing their hat in the ring would do well to realize the title "Supreme Leader" comes with a bullseye attached. The job should come with excellent life insurance and a burial plot.

[Fenris]

Candidates throwing their hat in the ring would do well to realize the title "Supreme Leader" comes with a bullseye attached.

Even voting on a candidate has become dangerous.

[Sojourner]

I don't see Iran continuing without a fundamental change to its leadership. I hope the Iranian people take advantage of the opportunity they're being given to facilitate that change. There has to be at least one rational, ideologically moderate person that is qualified and suited for leadership among the people. (One that Israel and the US could support).

[Athanasius]

And if not, the CIA .. oh, they already did that? Oh, well

[Fenris]

I don't care what happened in 1953. I care what's happening now.

[Athanasius]

I don't care what happened in 1953. I care what's happening now.

I'm saying the US better not mess it up **again**.

[Fenris]

I'm saying the US better not mess it up **again**.

Don't worry, Israel is involved. Everything is going to be fine.

[ProDeo]

I don't care what happened in 1953. I care what's happening now.

I'm saying the US better not mess it up **again**.

That.

I am still waiting for the plan.

You can't bomb regime change.

At some point bombings will stop, Iran is crippled, but 5-10 years later Iran is back being its usual ugly self.

[RabbiKnife]

I don't care what happened in 1953. I care what's happening now.

I'm saying the US better not mess it up **again**.

That.

I am still waiting for the plan.

You can't bomb regime change.

At some point bombings will stop, Iran is crippled, but 5-10 years later Iran is back being its usual ugly self.

The Shia and Sunni can just keep killing, they’ll just have to do it without nukes and without much military infrastructure

Maybe Obama can send them a few more pallets of cash

Now my pretribulational evangelical friends are depressed because Trump just pushed back the return of Jesus by 10 years by killing the Ayatollah antichrist

At least that’s what it says on page 6, tab a, illustration b of the chart….

[shepherdsword]

I don't see Iran continuing without a fundamental change to its leadership. I hope the Iranian people take advantage of the opportunity they're being given to facilitate that change. There has to be at least one rational, ideologically moderate person that is qualified and suited for leadership among the people. (One that Israel and the US could support).

Goldie Ghamari has said that the only person the Iranian people trust is Reza Pahlavi (son of the ousted Shah). He has said publically that if he resumes power he will hold elections immediatly. I think that is something the US and Israel can both get behind.

[Sojourner]

Reza Pahlavi seems a likely candidate to assume leadership once the old regime has been shattered and the dust settles. (Though the possibility exists that nefarious actions by China and Russia could hinder progress). The Iranian people benefited from the governance of Reza's father, and I hope he has a plan to replace Iran's acrimonious, antagonistic theocracy with a functional republic similar to the one the Shah was building before the Islamic revolution. Hopefully, the current generation can learn from the mistakes of the past and rebuild a better Iran. It'll be nice to have the billions in oil revenue spent benefiting the people instead of financing global terrorism.

[Fenris]

I am still waiting for the plan.

You can't bomb regime change.

If the plan is to make Iran no longer be a threat, that's good enough for me.

You're making the better be the enemy of the good.

Having the world's sole Jewish state live or die by the whims of an Islamic fundamentalist totalitarian apocalyptic regime is not acceptable.

Furthermore, most of Europe's capitals are in the range of Iranian ICBMs. It's really quite amazing that they generally seem completely unconcerned by this development.

[Fenris]

Reza Pahlavi

Yeah, he could be a unifying figure that both Iranians and the west could live with.

People seem to forget that under the Shah, Iran and Israel were allies. And could be again.