Faramarz

هر که میگه پنیر ، تو سرتو بزار زمین...

مجسمه بلاهت ، مثال آوردن از زنده یاد دکتر صدیقی (از خدمت گزاران راستین
ایران،برعکس مزدوران انگل فسیل) اتفاقا  بیانگر توقع و انتظار ما از وزیر
کشور  در یک موقیعت بحرانی میباشد ،توقع و انتظاری بسیار بسیار بیشتر از
رجوع به شوفر برای آگاهی از امور .
و هم چنین انتقاد از دکتر مصدق برای نطق در رادیو ، درست قبل از کودتا، و  فرستادن مردم از خیابان به خونه، با وعده فراخوان مجدد.
فراخوانی که هیچ وقت صادر نشد، و دکتر هم میدانست که  صادر نخواهد شد. 
اما در مورد فسیل انگل ، ذهنیت پلشت و  دستمال یزدی برای انگلیسی  ، در  چنین درکی عاجز و درمانده است، مثل یک انگل فسیل حقیر.

وای به روزی که گدا معتبر شود

A Liar!

1. Go get a life! 2. I'm not accountable to you. 3. Reading assignment: Read about what the Wall Street has done with all the laws and auditing. 4. You're stuck with the rigid mentality of an adolescent who sees the whole world in black and white! 5. Since you mentioned Clinton, check out how much Monica Lewinsky received for the job she did. Call it book contracts or whatever. 6. When reading, think of this hint: "legal loopholes!" 7. You haven't shown me where I have insulted the "civil society" in Iran! 8. I'm serious. Get a real life!!!

Further apologies to Framarz

You're simply beneath response and shameles. All your obtuse queries have been answered, you're too blind to read.

Stalinist, Maoist and Pol Pottist actually, very much like you, try to eliminate us. For them it's physically elimination, for you it's "intellectuall." Read a bit on Rosa Luxemburg, socialism from below, and find out even further more why your sooooooooooo obtuse.

Did I, or you write about fairness and honesty on this blog, calling them metaphors?

You still haven't answered about the audits.Have you ever had a real job that you had to go through an audit? How could you go through one when writing such statements as below:

"It is then that you start having real thoughts about how to get
ahead, yourself. It is at that point when you start justifying what you
do "wrong." And you start having second thoughts about the great
metaphors such as honesty, fairness, etc."

And I Will Call You A Liar!

And I Will Call You A Liar as long as you do not show me where I have insulted the "civil society!"

As I have said, your biggest problem is distorting people's posts and lying to prove you are right.

Show me where I defended the Shah or insulted the "civil society" in Iran, if you are not lying. Believe me it will not kill you, if you did show me!!!

Otherwise, you are a worthless liar who is carrying a heavy load of books not knowing where to drop them.

I have run into Stalinmongers, Maomongers and Pol Potmongers like yourself before. And I know your type!

Also, what is an uncivil person like you doing defending Iran's "civil society?"

Framarz

Just read your reply to DK on those CBS tapes. It
reminded me of how Mosadegh reacted to Coup of 28 Mordad.

I'm not sure
if this episode was before or after Mosadegh's talk on the radio, when
he asked everyone in the streets to go home, instead of staying in the streets and resisting the coup, and assured them that he would call them back
when the time was right. He never called them back.

As
we all know Mosadegh's Interior Minister was the late beloved Dr.
Sedighi (the first Iranian sociologist  , and very uncomprimising when it came to mullahs, but an utterly
unprepared politician). So the Coup of 28th of Mordad is in full swing
(having had another coup just three days before that) and Mosadegh asks
Dr. Sedighi on the status of the street. Dr. sedighi goes and asks his
driver, and his driver assures him it's not that bad, and that's what Dr.
Sedighi reports back to Mosadegh (all of this is from Dr.Sedighi's memoirs).

Tragedy-Comedy has a long history in Iran. 

Due apologies to Framarz!

GR:I promised you and other top-down "regime changers," that the civil society of Iran and its social movements will teach all of you a lesson (a promise which I still stand by) and you comapred this to MEK coming to power. Go and read what you wrote.

Last week in an exchange with VPK I posted part of the memoire from shah's personal bodygaurd who was with him from begining in Iran to the end in Panama and US, and the accounts he had of Alam's pimping for  shah, and VPK mentioned Clinton's behaviuor as some sort of defense ( a very peculiar defense if I may say so), and you jumped in right after him saying the exact same thing. 

The one who's fatally ignorant of the "context" seems to be you.

Case in point: the goal, term and discourse of "Regime Change." Though you might be ignorant of the process, in modern world, political ideas are formed through what is refered to as: discourse formation. Thus the discourseof  "Regime Change" was, is, and will be part of a propaganda arsenal developed by think tanks and media outlets, such as ayatollah BBC & Co. and others, for pursuite of western interests in the region. But for you this entire "context," origins, motives and the actual results, behind such a discourse is totally irrelevant, dismissed and forgotten. The fact that Western initiated "Regime Change," in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to creation of two (not one, but two) Islamic Republics doesn't mean a thing. Not only your oblivious to the context, you're almost in denial of the results in the neighboring countries. You basically even don't care what it means. You just want "Regime Change," whatever that is. 

This is the exact same kind of obtuse defeatist mentality (anything better than shah) that gave us IR.

Now it's your turn to repeat the exact same obtuse defeatist mentality (anything is better than IR) . I just want "regime change" what ever that means.

Peculiar how at the end of the day your "regime change" ilk and ayatollah BBC are all on the same side, but hey, who's keeping counts?

P.S. Being accused of dishonesty by someone who, on this very thread, treats and writes about fairness and honesty as "metaphors" (I have a feeling you really meant to say  euphemism, but didn't have the guts, or the vocabulary range) is amusing to say the least.

Since you lecture everyone about the "real" world, and how to get ahead in the "real" world. I ask you once again, have you ever had a real job that required auditing? How could you go through one with a straight face with such lumpen take on fairness and honesty?

A Worthless Liar!

1. Show me where I have insulted the civil society on that thread! I compared your childishness to that of the MEK member's. 

But since you lie habitually, you distort something that is still on this site!

2. Show me where I made excuses for or defended the Shah on this thread.

You see, you lie like a little kid only to prove yourself right.

With all the books you have read, you cannot understand the simple idea of "context." And you have such a narrow understanding of contexts that you take everything at its face value.

I have made fun of some people on this site by writing outrageous stuff only to sit back and watch how stupid they are. They go up the wall the way you do. I can picture them rubbing their chests where their old hearts are.

Who is the self-centered one? You think you are the only one on this site?

You don't even understand what the term "metaphor" means anymore for the simple reason your ideological dogmas and dangerously prejudiced views of things other than what you believe in disallow you to think clearly. Similar to your Islamist counterpart here on this site.  

Once more, show me the sentences or phrases which I have written in defense of the Shah on this thread or where I have insulted the "civil society" of Iran on the other thread under the blog called, "The Fall Of The Shah."

Otherwise, I call you a worthless liar.

P.S. Your rigidity in discerning things reminds of some boring librarians.

Darius jaan I said corruption & SAVAK ended Shah. U no like it!

Everything is sacred

DK Jaan

When that tape came out, it spread like a wild fire among Iranians in the US. It sounded a little bit suspicious at the time because in Iran we had a few voice impersonators that were comedians like Rich Little in the US. But when Dan Rather played it on the CBS Evening News in a day or so, it became official.

I am sure that someone associated with the Khomeini camp like Yazdi probably got it to CBS and vouched for its authenticity.

Dan Rather even said that they compared the tape to other voice recording of Shah and it seemed plausible that it was authentic.

Now that we know what we know, during those days Shah never gathered his top military or civilians around him and gave them any kind of instruction, one way or another. He just asked the US Ambassador Sullivan what the scene on the streets was!

Dunno Esfand Jan Guess You're going to tell me

Based on your Personal Experience Perhaps ? ...
 

Monty Python - Spanish Inquisition Torture Scene

Darius jaan so the SAVAK was a teddy bear, right?!

Everything is sacred

That's the trouble with You Jomhurykhahs You "Hear" things

But Never Verify the credibility of Your "Sources" ...

American CBS TV network airs Fake Tapes on Shah's Speech (1979)

Alleged SAVAK Victim testifies on an American Liberal TV              

But then I guess just like you saw Khomeiny on the Moon You'll take Any BS for Granted ! 

Actress Golshifteh Farahani explains why Iranians are "Good Liars"

Ask General Oufkir's daughter if King Hassan was a Teddy Bear

- Interview with Malika Oufkir - Foreign Correspondent - ABC

C'est celà Oui

Fetchez La Vache

Darius jaan I have heard Morocco's police is just a teddy bear!

Everything is sacred

So Concerned about Savak ? How come Not on Morocco's Police ?

Shahrnush Parsipur: "I was Never Physically Tortured by the SAVAK"

Shirin Neshat's movie based on Parsipur's book 'Women Without Men' ( the screenplay of which was partially re written with that other Columbia 'Iran Expert' Hamid Dabashi) was Shot in that other so called "Absolute Monarchy" : Morocco ( Prior to the 'Reforms' and so called "Arab Spring").

Yet they keep boasting about how the Iranian people were oppressed by the Shah's Brutal Police: 

Christine Amanpour interviewing Shirin Neshat and NIAC advisor John Limbert and then draws parallels between the Coup of 53 and today’s IRI crackdown 

Some double Standards indeed !

How come none of our Artists and deemed Intellectuals seem to mind going there doing their stuff and accepting the honors while enjoying the weather and other luxuries in that other "oppressed Kingdom" ? :

Abbas Kiarostami at the dinner Hosted by Morocco’s Prince Moulay Rachid during the Film Festival in Marrakeche

Abbas Milani Guest of Morocco’s Prince Moulay Hicham

Keyfetoono Meekoneed Kooftetoonoh Meekhoreed bad Baz Ham Meegheed Vay chegardre Zamaneh Shah SAVAK bad Bood Va Corruption Dashteem ?

And all that to end up being presented as 'Eminent' Intellectuals by our Political Correct Diaspora Medias like the BBC Persian or VOA :

Ramin Jahanbegloo, Massoud Behnoud, and other Jomhurykhah likeminds asked by BBC Persian to name who they deem is the Most Eminent while Blasting the Pahlavis Founder as usual …

Ensaaf Ham Khoub Cheezyeh !

But then I guess not all are as bold as this lady: 

TEARS FROM HEAVEN: Leila Hatami in Morocco breaks into tears when asked about Iran’s Film Censors 

نخود هر آش: انگل فسیل

My exchange was with GR and not DK.

I have told you in more than one occasion, I have no use for British Subjects, especially the whore mongering types like you and your little shah.

Now, go and mind you're own bussines, and continue your whore mongering. Like the ones you were so happily typing about yesterday.

At least Gunga Din had some self-respect. These days can't even get a proper Water Boy anymore.

Now , begone  and fetch the Gents some water. Carry on 

No so fast Ghasemak!!

When you get so angry it shows that you see there is a truth in what Darius says and you have no counter argument to offer. Such is the way of the losers. So sad :(

How you are a shamless defender of monrachy and a lie

You defended and made exuses about shah's whore mongering when I posted the piece by his personal body gurad mentioning how Alam in the Royal Court had turned the Royal Court into a Royal Whore House. Your exact words and excuse was: "Everyone does it, even Bill Clinton did it."

Everyone else other than yourself (being so self centerd) sees every single day, in and out how you jump in on every single possible occasion to make exuces for and in defense of your little shah's brtual, violent and corrupt rule. To post ervery single one of them would take a few days. But it's not too late, I could start just one column for your excuses and defense of monarchy starting today. I bet with you in less than a week it will fill up an enitre page if not more.

How obtuse and deranged can you get to ask if your "criticism " of regime in the reason I call out your inconsistencies. Sonny Boy we have been fighting IR, tooth and nail, since you were a baby. While you have been merely criticizing IR, we've attacked its military basis in Kurdestan and taking over their arms and distributed between the population. How obtuse can you get?

You equated Iranian Civil Society to MEK, which is itself an indication where you come from and how much of an understanding and comprehension (or rather lack of ) you have of Iranian Civil Society.

You monarchists simply have issues with reality. Ideas, concept and terms such as Honesty and Fairness is just a joke for you all.

What I loved the best is how I "took" the idea of Audit from you. You still haven't said if you've been able to pass a single audit yet? 

With apologies to Framarz for this heated exchange on his blog. I'm done with this person. Cheers

Corruption & SAVAK ended the Shah = will end Islamic Republic

Everything is sacred

Good article

I enjoyed reading this piece and your take on the parallels between Iran's "oil bubble" of the early 1970s and the dotcom bubble of the late 1990s, Faramarz.

Of course, as you'll know, the main difference was that in Iran's case the boom was mainly state driven and the dotcom being market/technologically driven.

Also, thank you for bringing sepahbod Azar Barzin's book to our attention. I'll be sure to check it out.

For Francophiles Col Bidgoli Rad has a slightly different take

I have yet to read Mr Sepahbod Shapoor Azar Barzi to shape my opinion but for Francophiles Col Amir Bidgoli Rad author of the following book (written with the help of a French Journalist) has a different take on the question of So called American Influence on the Iranian Military Personal.

Nocturne iranien : Mémoires d'exil du colonel Bidgoli Rad, de l'armée de l'air impériale iranienne

On the contrary  the Shah was actually trying to limit their technical influence on the Iranian military by having the Iranian Universities train the Homafars in an aim to replace the American technicians in turn.

One of Iran's Army great challenges at the time was to have their Spare Parts made by Iranians instead of having to purchase them from America or the West.

The Shah expressed his frustrations on the issue of the high price of Spare Parts  in this Interview with Barbara Walters in 1974: 

pictory: Shah Interview with Barbara Walters and US Networks (1974-77) 

Iran by the early seventies was also developing relations with some of the East European Non Aligned Nations like Romania, Hungary, and Tito's Yougoslavia as well as Poland from whom we were also buying arms and other types of commodoties in exchange for oil.

Ironically As a matter of fact some of the harshest critics on the Persepolis Celebrations of 1971 could be found amongst liberal circles in Western Medias where as most Nations in Eastern Communist Blocs were actually praising Iran's "glorious" Past and presenting the Shah as a Nationalist. 

This assessment that the Shah was moving away from the Americans was also interestingly echoed in a Recent documentary on ARTE Television:

DISSECTING PERSEPOLIS : ARTE TV Documentary on Shah’s 1971 Celebrations

In the Front Seat of the Celebrations one could actually See the Shah sitting not with Western Leaders but with East European Leaders ranging from USSR's Podgorny to Marshall Tito.

Hence the West's Fears of seeing the Shah switch Camps and create ties with the Soviets and Chines instead: 

RUSSIAN ROULETTE: Shah's Historic State Visit to Brezhnev's USSR

DIPLOMATIC HISTORY: Farah and China's Zhou Enlai ( ~1972-73 )

Very much like the IRI is doing today except that in the case of the Shah he was doing it on the basis of Bilateral Interests and Not in an aime of Surrendering Iran's natural Resources to the dictate of these foreign Nations needs ...  

That explains the harsh critics the Shah got throughout the 70's amidst the Cold War and Vietnam Debacle where our participation was merely humanitarian and medical at best:

M.A.S.H. : Iranian Nurses Provide Help to Injured Vietnamese (1966)

by the likes of Mike Wallace accusing him of being a Magalomaniac to which the Shah smartly answered back by saying how does that make me your Stooge :

Shah responds back to Mike Wallace for not using the World « Persian » but « Gulf » and Slams the Jewish Lobby’s growing influence in American Medias

It should be noted that the Homafars did not actually have a Military Rank / Status. That infamous Allegience of the Air force to the Revolution and Khomeiny was actually that of the Homafars and Not the regular Airforce commanders and personal.

The confusion however gave the false impression that the Army had pledged Loyalty to Khomeiny in Mehrabad Airport which was never the case. 

They had the status of Technical University Students and were not forced to entirely respond to the same military discipline.

The tensions which resulted between the Military Personal and these Homafars overtime was that the latter's expected similar treatment as Superior Officers notably in the Baracks and Officer's mess.

In addition to Coming from the Technical Universities some of these folks were politically exposed to communist readings and Amir Bidgoli Rad explains how on several occasions he surprised some of these technicians with Marxist pamphlets and Books on Marxism in their rooms which was strictly forbidden to mix politics with their paid jobs within the Military hierarchy.

On one particular Occasion Amir Bidgoli Rad explains how he had to register everyone including american personals when they would land the planes on the Military airport which irritated an American Technical officer who started insulting one of these homafars. The Iranian Colonel saw the scene and interfered by taking the American by the neck and firmly putting him in his place for his rude behavior.

A few hours later Col Amir Bidgoli Rad was called to his superior's Office asked to explain the situation.

At first he thought he would be punished or court marshaled given the priveladege status of American Personals in Iran.

On the contrary he was told that the Shah had heard of the incident and was very pleased saying he actually wanted to congratulate Amir Bidgoli Rad for his stamina in having the Americans behave on Iranian Soil and respect the Military procedures as everyone else.

I highly recommend Amir Bidgoli Rad's book to anyone who can read French, Hopefully the book may one day be translated into English. He is currently working so as to release it in Persian.

His life story is incredible for he became an Iran Iraq War hero but was arrested not only during the Revolution but several times after accused of plotting against the State precisely by a Homafar who was jealous of him. He spent several years in and out of prison tortured ( seriously tortured it's explained in detail) but then sent on the War front where his skills proved useful ( he was amongst those Iranian pilots who had graduated as a F 14 Pilot in Texas Huston during the 1960's) He finally escaped Iran along with his family through Kurdistan and reached France where he lives today and worked with Bakhtiar until the latter's assassination.

I have personally met him and we have become good friends. He is amongst many other Unsung Heros who went from being a F14 pilot to ending up making a living in Paris as a Taxi Driver.

But his story is also a personal journey on how he managed to get his priorities right and saving his family from the hell Iran had become after the revolution where many of his collegues were to be executed by the Revolutionary tribunals.

Not only did he manage to leave Iran with his kids one of whom was at the time deeply traumatized by the arrest and torture of his father but also worried at one point that he was executed.

Since Mr. Bidgoli Rad has retired but his kids are now happily married to French partners and his daughter became a lawyer while his sone has become an engineer.

Proving that at times just like in movies Happy Ending do exist in Life ...

Except this is a True Story. 

I hope his book will be out in English someday for it is s truly a remarkable testimony on the way the Iranian Military behaved during the Revolution and beyond.... 

No regime is perfect and definitively not the Shah's but  quite Honestly I wish some would try to put some PERSPECTIVE and BALANCE in their analysis' before repackaging old clichés on the former regime's so called "corruption" ...

Objectivity and Fairness should go hand in hand ... Alas much of the literature on the Pahlavi Era seem to fail on both accounts.

Fortunately some of that is now changing thanks to the work of other Non Iranian Historians who have no personal interest in depicting either a too rosy or exagerated negative picture on that era:

Conversations with History: U.S. Iran and Saudi Arabia with Andrew Scott Cooper:

That was long due ... 

That's What I Have Been Thinking!

That's What I Have Been Thinking for quite some time.

Some folks are even afraid of losing their jobs if the regime in Tehran falls.
They wouldn't know what to do with their lives.

In my neck of the woods, there are guys who, after losing their jobs, put on their suits in the morning and leave home pretending they're going to work.

Some Iranians will probably do the same.

Elahe Boghrat Said it Best

Elahe Boghrat :  "What are You Afraid Of : The Return of the Monarchy or The Departure of the Islamic Republic ?" 

از چه می ترسید؟! آمدن پادشاهی یا رفتن جمهوری

اسلامی؟!

Clearly 32 years On Some of you Jomhurykhahs still haven't got Your Priorities Straight 

COMPLAINING JOMHURYKHAH: What Have the Pahlavis EVER Done For Us ? ;0) 

Bikhial ... I'm sure we are going to debate on this for another round in 10 years while the Russians and Chinese will continue exploiting us to their benefit for another 50 or So Years ...

Sigh ... 

Recommended Blog:

Crown Prince Reza on importance of "Checks and Balances" of future regime 

Corporate America Behaved as Normal

What I liked about this book is that the author did not get into the usual Shah/Khomeini/Mossadegh/good/bad discussion. Instead he provided names/incident/experience/observation and left it to the reader to draw conclusions.

In my opinion, if you take a culture that has corruption in its DNA and place it in a system that didn’t have any safeguards against corruption (courts, audit, and accountability) and then inject it with a serious amount of cash, you will get corruption on steroid.

My point about the comparison of the environment to the 90’s “dotcom bubble” is that the Corporate America behaved as it has always done (minus the bribery and under the table stuff). It saw an opportunity and tried to maximize it. But it also provided goods that are still in use 30+ years later.

One of the points that has always been made about the reasons for the regime change in Iran back in ’79 was the large American footprint in Iran and their undue influence, and hence the ever-popular slogan, “Marg bar Amrika”.

There were about 100,000 American personnel, Mostashaar and their families in Iran and they were quite visible. Their companies were charging 6-figure salaries for them that eventually created a huge amount of resentment amongst Iranians who worked side-by-side with them. But then again, that’s nothing unusual in Corporate America. American workers also get pissed when they find out that the hotshot lawyer, the strategy consultant or the financial whiz that hangs out on the executive floor gets paid $500+/hr.

The plan was to use the Mostashaar as long as it was beneficial to Iran and once the knowledge transfer was done, put the Homafar in their place and send the Mostashaar home. And that was being done to a degree in the late 70’s.

Shameless Lies!

1. Show me where and when I have made excuses for or defended the Shah!

2. Show me, on the other thread, where I compared anyone except you to the 19-year-old MEK activist!

Unfortunately for yourself and those around you, you don't seem to be able to function without lying!

Is it my criticism of the regime that drives you up the wall? If not, why distort what I have written?

You don't seem to understand the context in which I have used the term "metaphor." Some English proficiency courses seem to be in order!

Look who's talking

You use any opportunity to justify and make excuses for shah's corrupt rule : from justifying his whore mongering , to all the theft and corruption under him, calling (this is your own words, not anyone else) honesty and fairness as 'metaphors'. And other people have problem!!! The only one who need help in here seem to be you, in dire need of some integrity.

No my firend as long as you treat such concepts as "metaphor" (again this is your own words, not anyone elses) you are going to have lots of probelms, least of all with audits.

You people are so used to lie, theft and corruption, as soon as anyone calls you out , they become Islamic, Angry,...Take a good look at the mirror, it'll come in handy. Cheers

P.S. Oh yeah, and please explain how you single handely 'invented' the concept of Auditing? Did you start this trend? If anyone mentions this minor 'detail' of corporate life," in response to your careless use of the words "honesty" and fairness," they taken your idea!!" How delusional can you get?

Very Interesting

I have not read the book yet, and am going to read it soon. But to be fair, if %12-20 of GDP was spent on modern millitary equipments by the shah, not only he kept peace and prosperity in Iran for thirty eight years, while the country was growing fast, those equipments also helped Iranians fight with Saddam for eight years, when all their top millitary leaders had been executed by the IRI prior to the war.

I remember, homafaran, were the first group of millitary personnel  who supported khomeini. We all remember their famous picture with Him, and perhaps Mr. Kadivar has access to that picture. They were a large group of airforce personnel that shah had sent them to US to get training for a couple of years. They were not pilots.

several years later, I was in North Carolina for a few days to see a friend. We went to a religious ceremony at a private house. It was a big fancy house with antique furniture. Later, I found out that the owner has been a homafar before the revolution, worked with the revolutionary regime for a while, moved to that city in US, openned a private bank, and bought that house.

His job was that, once every few months he would travel to switzerland, and act as a middleman in the arms deal between Iran and US. I also heard that Mr. Toufanian benefitted huge amounts of money from arms deal during the shah.

Corruption exist on every country, the level is important

I think, there is no society without corruption. Just watch CNBC once in while, you will find a show about them. I think, the problem is bribary in our country. It becomes routine on all the jobs these days. 

We are who we are? It will take generations after generation to fix this. If you go back and forth in Iran History. There King, Mullah, and others were well corrupted.

Look at Ghajarieh, Russian were bringing them beautiful women in exchange for land (Trust me, if Iranian has blond hair and blue eyes, we have given alot for them to get that).

Look at Mullah, they are selling oil to India at discount, then recieve money (Rupie) through Turkish banks. All of these to have what? Nuclear Power or whatever? Paying 10% of oil revenue to these countries has cost of Iran $20B per year.

Speaking of GDP, GDP is not a right way of looking at country. Becuase GDP is not showing distribution of wealth among popoulation. You have to look at poverty line +GDP.

I wish, we could ship all the oil and religion out of IRAN. In 1970, there was a country in Asia with much lower than GDP without single drop of oil. Today that country is one of the richest in planet. Look at history of South Korea and compare it to Iran.

 It is not GDP or how rich is country? Will of people will go longer than all of GDP on planet.