Pictory

Whatever the islamists say

about previous Iranian Kings/regimes, nothing, absolutely nothing in Iran's history compares to the barbarity and backwardness of the islamo-nazis that have raped Iran for the last 31 years.

Parthianshot91

Talking about the westernized liberals, Islamists, and communists who are not "free" to ruin the country for their own agenda.

He was proven right now it is very ironic. The Shah was 100% right to oppose Islamists and communists. 

The communist idea of freedom: property confiscation; hostage taking; black listing.

The Islamist idea of freedom: Sharia law; forced hijab; stoning

Yes, he was very right to oppose both bunch of vermin.

چی بگه آدم ... ؟ !!

..

The shah was

Talking about the westernized liberals, Islamists, and communists who are not "free" to ruin the country for their own agenda.

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"They are not afraid of the ideology alone, but of the detemination and will of the men behind it"

 "I'd rather be hated for w

sheeps and wolves

My father being a non-political man said that there was enough freedom to go around back then. Only anti-Iranian groups who put ideology first instead of Iran and it's people were against the shah, and to this day this is still true.

In my eyes, you're either pro your country or you're not. What kind of freedom do you want exactly, for what? If the economies going up, your country's becoming modernized, people prospering culturally etc.. Then what is exactly wrong with that government? There needs to be a limit to freedom when it comes to politics, cause human beings will abuse the systerm somehow, it's in our nature really.

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"They are not afraid of the ideology alone, but of the detemination and will of the men behind it"

 "I'd rather be hated for w

75% Free is like being 75% Virgin..;-)

Either you are or you aren't.

Yeah....really!

What a "weakest kink" he was! or it should read weakest link? or may be weakest king?

History repeats itself

A very long ago in ancient Iran there was a king names Jamshid. When he got too arrogant people left him for an Arab named Zahhak. Dear Zahhak before long started to serve brains of Iranian youth to his snakes. It was not easy but we finally got rid of him.

Fast forward thousands of years. There is a patriotic but arrogant Shah. People overthrow him and go for the new Zahhak aka Khomeini. He rewards Iranians with a long war; destroys the economy; takes away freedom and costs us hundreds of thousands of lives. Now his heir Khamenei is feeding Iranian youth to the snakes. Did we learn anything from history: No. As we speak a large number of Iranians still worship Zahhak and his snake religion. May we open our eyes and see what is going on.

It took Ferydoon and Kaveh to free us and we prospered.

We will be freed and prosper again without Islam.

The weakest kink ...

He was probably the weakest and the most incompetent king in Iranian history. To the last days of his sorry life, he thought foreign powers were behind the revolution. He had a habbit of leaving the country when the political climate was tough....

A disgrace to persian kings like Koroush and Dariush ....

How any Iranians are hopeful about future today?

When he took the power the whole world was divided betweentwo super powers, those who were under communism (USSR) and those who wereunder capitalism (USA, Europe). Like Iran none of the third world countries hador permitted to have any freedom. Iran with it’s geographic location and Oilreserves never be without out side influence. With the super powers breathingon his neck I believe we had much more freedom under him than we do now and hestill were able to provide us with an identity as Iranian, improve our standardof living, bring security to the country and respect in internationalcommunity. That came with a price and he was welling to pay it regardless ofwhat history will think of him in future. He was thinking in long term but wewanted now, today. After fall of USSR we can see all of those countries whostood with West regardless of their dictatorship governments they are betteroff economically, politically today than those sided with East. At least Shahwas honest about his siding with West and providing ways for young generationto learn from them by going to their schools but these Mullah (Arabs) only send their kids and money to West and make it impossible for rest of us.

Please stop blaming him for the Hellhole we are in today, weasked him to leave and he did. We had 30 years to show him we can do betterwithout him but we couldn’t we gave it all away to bunch laying, thief Arabs.

Ruhash shad.   

we were too young

Our nation had no capacity of understanding the scope of freedom, so called revolution of 1979 is great example of our understanding of freedom, 1978-1979 our country in my personal opinion was attached by foreign enemies western and eastern and by our own misunderstanding of freedom. If anyone assumes that in 1961 there was complete freedom in united state, should review the history.

Our country is been victim of cold war and betrayal of own people to their country by not only destroying the image and economy and culture and future of their own kids. Let’s acknowledge that we are the only nation in world who signed execution of our kids and their kids to come and we are the only nation chooses to back to 7th century backward ideology.   

Yes and No JJ & VPK ...

One cannot rewrite History and the Shah definitively failed to implement democratic behavior and or democratic practice in running the country and as such he partly contributed to his own downfall ...

But There was definitively a far more Pluralistic Political Atmosphere in the 1960's ( as long as one was not a communist ) than there was in the 70's when the Shah fatally created the Rastakhiz Party ...

pictory: Political Pluralism and Freedom of Press in Pahlavi Iran (1961)

Description:

BBC's Panorama visits Iran in 1961 in this revealing documentary on the level of social freedoms and progress enjoyed by Iranians at the time. University Students are asked about the Freedom of the Press and Politics. Also the Shah is asked if he allowed the formation of political parties ( Non Communist). This was a decade before the creation in 1970's of the unified Rastakhiz Party which put an end to political pluralism in Parliament and tragically sealed the doomed fate of Shah's Regime.

Go Here ( Go particularly to 2 min 32 sec for the above interview)

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The Ayatollah Begs to Differ - Houman Majd :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEP7F3QFPV4

As Such my personal assessment is that the Imperial Regime Needed to be Reformed Not Toppled ...

Shah Speach acknowledges Voice of the Revolution but refuses to abdicate and promises to Respect the Constitution once Calm and Order is Restored:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWwTshDIfuQ

Alas For Better or For Worse History and the Nation at large Decided Otherwise ...

Khomeiny's Hichi :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPpB-r5mMCI

Due to Our Collective Poor Choice and Immaturity for which we are All ( and I Mean ALL and not just the Shah, Mossadegh or Khomeiny, the Intelligenstia be them Left or Right Wing ) more or Less Responsible and not merely Those who voted YES to the following UN -IRANIAN Constitution:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=H868TX_YW04

To Quote Azar Nafisi ( in her interview with Fariba Amini ) whose own father was a Diplomat during the Shah's era but who was arrested for a few years due to political rivalries with other fellow ministers and which she thoroughly describes in her latest excellent book Things I have been Silent About) :

"I did not think that the Islamic regime or the Shah were the only forces responsible for what happened to us. I wanted to know what right did the rest of the society play in bringing about this revolution. I still think that different groups with different views should have an honest assessment of their past mistakes, not other people’s mistakes but their own. This is not about blaming ourselves or others, but in order to understand where we were in order to know where we are going."

"A Country that Loses it's Poetic Vision is a Country that faces death" -Saul Bellow

Don't know for others but for me  and From a Constitutionalist Point of View, Nafisi's "Republic of Imagination" is Fully Compatible with my  "Empire of Dreams" :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFjjjGwEDkQ

For me it means Implementing Republican Ideals within a Royal Framework which has been the Struggle of the last 100 years to say the least :

HISTORY FORUM: Nader Naderpour on Iran's Constitutional Revolution and European Rennaissance (1996)

An Royal institution which for better or for worse has guaranteed the "Yek Parchegi" of Iran as a United Nation and greatly shaped our collective identity and culture despite our multiple ethnic entities and customs yet Threatened as never before by Seperatist Temptations including in a Post IRI IRan.

Will Our Generation manage to bring about that Truly Democratic Alternative in a near future be it in the form of a Genuine Secular Republic ( Where Presidents are Not Elected for Life ) or a Constitutional Monarchy ( Where the King or Queen Reign but Do Not Rule) in the True Sense of the Word ?

I don't know ...

For History alas often proves that it is easier to achieve democracy than it is to maintain it ...

All the more that when it comes to politics we Iranians COLLECTIVELY seem to lack that Crucial Ingrediant that has led other nations achieve their Democatic Transition : IMAGINATION !!!

What I do know However is That is definitively where the true challenge for the Future of Iran resides as never before in it's 100 year old struggle for democracy and human rights particularly if we even hope to see a genuine democratic Iran in our lifetime ...

If we fail ... History Won't forgive us anymore than it has forgiven the Pre - 1979 Generation ...

My Humble Opinion,

DK

Historic Short-sightedness

The fear of expansion of international communism and its countermeasure tactics shaped the post WWII policies in Iran, up to the 70s.

Such reactionary measures failed to realize that the religious forces (i.e. the only form of political assembly allowed) will eventually morph the communist discourse to a militant Shite-Islamic ideology for mobilizing the masses against the establishment. 

JJ

Words don't count. Actions do. 

I wholeheartedly agree with you. However we are far from endorsing free speech. After all that suppression of speech we still have a debate on it! Right here on another thread someone is demanding the right to stifle speech. When I object I get this:

VPK I'll eliminate ur vote as well! Seems u too can't sit still!

Boasting about disenfranchising me after having done that to Sargord. Is this what we are after for "democracy". You are the owner of this site and observing that vote. Yet you remain silent in effect endorsing this statement. I request that you put your own words into action. Stand up and say NO. All the votes WILL get counted and no one should be threatened with having their vote "eliminated" as that person is wanting to do. Again if you value democracy and free speech please stand up and make a statement.

Can't we have freedom and fun at the same time?

Sure, are you throwing a party? Invite me :-)

Nice words

Words don't count. Actions do. The reality is 75% of Iranians were not free then and are not free now. Happier? They were less miserable then. If a normal human being had to choose between a dictatorship or a religious dictatorship, I think they would pick a plain dictatorship that at least allowed people to have fun! Promoting fun had priority over freedom.

Can't we have freedom and fun at the same time?

روان میهن پرستش شاد.

به امید روزی که ایران و ایرانیان دوباره شادی و آزادی ببینند.

They were

Though they did not appreciate it. the old generation that participated in the rev can go to hell, it's the new generation that we're fighting for.

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"They are not afraid of the ideology alone, but of the detemination and will of the men behind it"

 "I'd rather be hated for w