Pictory

Democracy is not sold in kilos

Like running/managing a family or a company, running a country also "sometimes" needs to make tough decisions which may not neccessarily be welcomed by some people and may not look right at that time. A good manager is the one who can make decision on firing someone as easily as promoting or rewarding someone else to advance the company as a whole. A good parent is the one who can make tough punishing decisions about his/her own child for the sake of child's future life and protecting the family. Good statesmanship is not just to listen and follow what common man says or likes. A leader may need to make tough stand sometimes in the face of internal or external enemies who may try to take advantage of impressionable crowds in certain situations to serve certain agendas. Such tough decisions are made daily in every human society and if a group of anarchists for example get arrested and punished for attempting to undermine stability of a nation and hurt long term national interests it does not mean that the leader is bad. It is not enough to speak in fancy statements which pleases our eyes and ears. That is not how a country is run. We saw those who promised paradise to people and delivered them to hell of Khomeini. We have seen the same thing happened in Communist countries from Soviet Union to Cuba and to China. Democracy is not something which is sold by kilo or by bags in the store. It requires cultural and educational base and any people who do not work hard enough to educate themselves to live by the rules of democracy are doomed to live under such tyranies like the one in Iran.

Mr. Homayoun did not say that previous system was flawless while believing that there was room for reform. This statement is absolutely true. There is no perfect system in this world and even the best democracies of the world have their own problems depending on the degree of corruption in them. Having said that, considering the magnitude of social, economic and political corruption in Iran after Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iran would be in far better situation compared to many of even European nations if we did not have a revolution in Iran and for that reason alone, it would be far better to have some people arrested and punished in the beginning of chaos than letting a mad mullah take over and drive the nation towards a disaster in which millions were forced to live in misery and hundreds of thousands were imprisoned and killed by the Islamic government. That would definitely work and I say that with full certainty because, as an active witness with limited participation in those events I could see that in reality. Other than indecison of Shah in dealing with situation (which was probably for his medical condition), the first and foremost cause of the Islamic revolution in Iran was widespread delusion (among Iranian intellectuals) about Islamic leaders and falsely blaming every problem in the country on the figurehead of the state and forget about our own responsibilities towards our nation and homeland. Most of Iranians even today, are waiting for others to solve their problems and many even expect that US government bombs the country to save them of their misery because they think the bombing would not hurt them! Running and protecting a country is not possible by shooting some nice and fancy slogans which are only good to have with a few shots of vodka in an intellectualisitc dreamland. It requires dedication and patriotism. This does not come in a package which includes "hich".

If this is the BEST....

If this man is the BEST intellectual/thinker, Shahollahis/Hezbollahis can offer, they are in big trouble.

This UNDEMOCRATIC, for dictatorship, group’s FEEBLE attempt in rewriting history does not CEASE, and keeps  backfiring on them.   Case and point was this man’s nonsensical diatribe in CREATING his “own” history, as he went on, was clearly another example of that.

Egyptian uprising clearly indicates that time for dictators is coming to an END, although Mubarak would be considered quite a humanitarian in comparison to Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the MURDEROUS TRAITOR, and justifying that by saying that Khomeini murdered even more does not either justify, wash or EXONORATE and is clearly a MORE IDIOTIC undertaking!   Reminding me of those who love monsters like Stalin or Hitler and are STILL nostalgic about them!    

Amazing

how decent small humans play roles in the fall of great nations!!!!!

This is truly sad, and dangerous very disappointed in Homayoun

Thank you for posting this.    People outside monarchy circle viewedHomayoun as a thinker (sometimes, the only one) in that crowd.  (Obviously as we see with the majority, Shahollahi, to them it is truly Shah, Iran Melat).  His recent move for Mashrouteh party was interesting indeed.

However listening to the interview Homayoun mixes facts and fictions and comes up with a very dangerous conclusion:

Revolution happened because Shah was not forceful enough!

Too bad Mr.Homayound did not live to see the Egyptian uprising.   What would be his advice to Mubark?   Be more brutal?   Don't give up?

The fundamental issue that Mr.Homayoun does not address, is the issue of legitimacy.   He is also I must say dishonest.   In 1339, (1962), if Shah reached out to Khalyl Maleki, why wouldn't he lift the forced exile and house arrest of Dr.Mossadegh?

Why would he not as one of the amendments to While revolution, emphasis  freeom of speech?  freedom of assembly?

To the opposite, Shah takes the other route and ultimately dissovles all the parties.   So no Mr.Homayoun,   revolution did not happen in 6 months.   Revolution was brewing for a long time, and it only fell to the wrong hand of religious fanatics.

Sad indeed.

May we all have good dreams.

oh yeah? Well a Fresh Reminder for you clueless Jomhurykhahs

Which of you fellows were aware of Khomeiny's 1963 uprising or his ideas when you cluelessly rushed to endorse him in the streets only to hypocritically complain later that your revolution was highjacked ?

Fereidoune Farrokhzad Boldly Explains Khomeiny's Green Book in Public, during a London Concert after the revolution. Khomeiny's Green Book TozyHol Massael is available on amazon.com  in which he defended his vision of an Islamic Society in application to Sharia Laws was widely distributed in villiages and amongst the revolutionary intelligensia supportive of the Ayatollah’s leadership.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqXOLUz5U_M

Threatened by a Fatwa Farrokhzad was assassinated in Germany in 1992 two years after the Shah's last Prime Minister Shahpour Bakhtiar was assassinated by IRI death Squads.

The same Farrokhzad explains what he considers the duty of an intellectual hence an artist and why he personally supports the Restoration of a Constitutional Monarchy in Iran despite the fall of the regime :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY2vJl9c1yc&feature=related

Khomeiny's Green Book as well as Jewish novelist Paul E.erdman's novel the Crash of '79 were the two best selling book in the west ... One simply being a novel describing the Shah as a megalomaniac seeking the nuclear bomb to dominate the entire middle east and beyond the other a well know political revolutionary blueprint (or should I say "Green Print" for change) to deliver Iran to it's new "Third World" dogmatic leaders:

Yasser Arafat Hails Iranian Revolution

see related novel:

The Crash of '79 by Paul E. Erdman Detailed Book Review

What does BBC stand for?

Does it stand for:

Bring Back Commies?

Buy British Cookies?

Badly Biased Clowns?

British Bums Corporated?

Bent British Cronies?

British Bastards Company?

.. any more suggestions?

Great Interview!

I enjoyed the talk, especially from 03:05 on.

How sad Dr. homayoun is gone, He still

Could & would be instrumental in Iran's politics for a free IRAN.  Lots to learn from him & his views.

A decent man

Clearly, he had love for Iran. Despite his disagreement with the current system, he still hopes and actively looks for ways to improve things without bloodshed, if possible. He is not like a lot of "revolutionaries" who exaggerate things to a point where it seems to justify any kind of bloodshed. He was definitely a decent man.

Nokar Inglisee ha was completely lost

Rest in Peace Mr Homayoon, drown in piss BBC and the ugly servants of HM government as you were through out this interview.

Ravanash shad

As Iranian say "mard nekonam namirad hargez - Mordeh onast ke namash beh nekoie nabarand). Homayoun will always stay as a great journalist among Iranians 

Wasting 7 minutes of my precious time listening to this guy

What a waste of time!

 Of course one can say that I am five minutes ahead of other who listen to the entire "day dreaming"

Mehrdad

No revolution takes only 6 mo.s He's either a chaaploos, or dumb

"Shoma roozha-ye aval yek seri ro bayad migerefteed, baghiye ham hesab-e khodeshoono mikardan." Martike-e avazi. Typical Machiavellian. He sounds like the IRI strategists.

rest in peace

Your Iran will one day be free and will give you the place you so greatly deserved in it.

Good Interview and Brilliant Responses by Homayoun

And For Enayat Fani ( who is a good and openminded journalist) ... I'm surprised by some of his perplexity in regard to the compatibility between Democracy and Monarchy ... for he should know better given he lives in the UK ;0)

HISTORY FORUM: How Truly Democratic is The British Monarchy ?

Great Britain went further than us Iranians : They Beheaded their King Charles 1st, established a Theocracy ( With Cromwell which became a Velayateh Fagih as Lord Protector of the British Republic) only to then Restore the King's Son Charles II ...

From which point Parliamentary Democracy took root in Great Britain PRIOR to the American Revolution and the French Revolution BOTH of Which Copy and Pasted the British Bill of Right into their "Republican" Constitutions:

RESTORATION: Britain's 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 and the 'Bill of Rights'

Even France's Voltaire saw in the British Monarchy as a Model for France and all Enlightened Europe:

HISTORY OF IDEAS: Ian Davidson on Voltaire's "English Exile"

We Only Send our Royal Families to Exile ...

Good interview and tough questions to which Homyoun answered brilliantly !

He will be missed Greatly !

But Daryoush Homayoun's Political and Intellectual legacy will live on ...

Recommended Blogs:

What does it mean to be royal? Charlie Rose interviews Jeremy Paxman on the British Monarchy

ROYAL FORUM: Explaining the Concept of a Constitutional Monarchy to a Staunch Republican

ROYAL RHINOPLASTY: Stephen Fry On The Imperfections of the Monarchy and Why It Should Be Preserved

HISTORY FORUM:The Monarchy with David Starkey (Cambridge University)

Agree

This reporter is quite annoying. The amount of hate BBC has for a shah of Iran is amazing, even after thirty years gone bye! They just don't let it go. I am glad Homayoun put him in his place. Roohash shad wish he was younger and still alive.

he was not just annoying!

مردک می خواست دایماً حرف تو دهن آقای همایون بگذارد
که آخر سر جواب شنید که
شما در انگلیس این وآن را دارید، در انگلیس شما،
که آقای خبرنگار هم به تنگ و اوقاتش تلخ

TRUE IRANIAN

این اقای مفصر ایرانی انگلیسی یا بایستی واقعأ احمق باشد و یا واقعأ از انهایی است که هنوز دروغ و کینه برای سلطنت و پادشاهی ایران را ول نمی خواهد بکند. عزیزم من تاکی دروغ و کینه و تا کی بد نام و حیولا کردن شاه. شما با کسی مساحبه مکنید که تاریخ و سیاست را نوشته و کسی مثل مرحوم داریوش همایون به نتیجه رسیده بعد از این همه سالها.  دیگر نباید خبرنگار ی مثل شما اسرار بر بدنامی سلطنت را کرد. بعدأ میگند این بی بی سی هم بی طرفه. روح این ایرانی پاک دل شاد و نامش پایدار..

It's so unfortunate

that we lost this great, knowlegable man at the time we needed him most. Btw, the reporter is so annoying.

روانش شاد

شاد روان داریوش همایون آنچنان بود که اگر هر ایرانی مهر ایران و آینده آنرا در دل داشت باید آنچنان باشد. توانائی آقای همایون در خنثی کردن آثار منفی حرفها و پرسشهای این گزارشگر بی بی سی که در پیش کشیدن و تکرار حرفهای شکمی و بظاهر منطقی خیلی استادانه کار میکند، بسیار ستودنی بود. شادروان داریوش همایون متفکری بزرگ و در عین داشتن دانش بسیار انسانی بی ادعا بود که ارزش او بموقع شناخته نشد و از آن ارزشها بگونه مناسبی بهره گرفته نشد. مبارزان راه آزادی ایران یک همرزم بزرگ و یک یار دانشمند را از دست دادند که کمبود او بسیار محسوس خواهد بود. روانش شاد، یادش گرامی و راهش پر رهرو باد.