If Americans Knew What We Did to Iran, Would We...

[J8300]

If Americans Knew What We Did to Iran, Would We Still Talk About Using Force?


Hands on buzzers, for 500 points: this democratic leader was overthrown in 1953 by a US-organized coup in retaliation for nationalizing oil resources previously controlled by the British.


Who is Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh?
If you're a little rusty on the history of U.S.-Iran relations, here's a 6-minute video review:

http://www.youtube.com/v/AJRcOF7rEfQ

If more Americans knew about this history, could our leaders blather on about supporting freedom and democracy in the Middle East they way they do? Would news media take them seriously if they did so? Would American pundits be so cavalier about the idea of bombing Iran, in flagrant violation of international law? Could people make fun of Senator Barack Obama for supporting real diplomacy with Iran and get away with it?


I don't claim that it would be impossible for U.S. politicians to talk about bombing Iran if "every schoolboy knew" what the United States did in Iran in 1953. But surely it would be more difficult.

Edit: didnt mean to make it look like i wrote it http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert...e_b_86035.html

[billamj]

So we should be glad that a dictatorial regieme is threatening us, fiscally at a minimum, because of something that happened fifty-five years ago?

[KeithPA]

If you paid any attention to the news recently the U.S. is shitting themselves on what is going on in Pakistan. Because the democratically elected officials are not friendly to us and they would prefer a dicator in power who somewhat supports us. Democracy be damned, it's all about who supports us.

[billamj]

If you paid any attention to the news recently the U.S. is shitting themselves on what is going on in Pakistan. Because the democratically elected officials are not friendly to us and they would prefer a dicator in power who somewhat supports us. Democracy be damned, it's all about who supports us.

That isn't quite a fair statement since the democratic process in Pakistan has been usurped somewhat with the current president barely standing with their constitution and the execution of the one candidate that would have defeated him with no problems. Before you ask, yes I meant to use execution since that is what happened to Benazir Bhutto, anyone who thinks that the current regieme in Pakistan didn't have some hand in her death has never paid attention to world events.

[sabre]

US foreign policy has done far worse things in other countries, Chile comes to mind. I can totally support previous US actions because I suspect that at the time they did what they thought was best.

In terms of hostile democracy ( like hamas in gaza ), I think it is pretty naive of Bush or anyone in government to think that just because it's a democracy it will be peaceful and US friendly. So what the US toppled Iran's dem government 55 years ago are you implying that is the reason Iran wants to nuke the US and Israel ? Sounds a lot like "But judge he grew up poor and uneducated so really he should only get 5 years in jail for killing those 3 people" God help us all if obama wins.

[sabre]

I would say that the Pakistan Muslim League gained just as much from her assassination as musaraf

[billamj]

I would say that the Pakistan Muslim League gained just as much from her assassination as musaraf

Perhaps, but imho his retention of power in that country gives him a stronger reason to want the popular former president out of the race, one way or the other.

[J8300]

So we should be glad that a dictatorial regieme is threatening us, fiscally at a minimum, because of something that happened fifty-five years ago?

fiscally? dont you believe in a free market?

[sabre]

fiscally? dont you believe in a free market?

And OPEC is a free market ?? my point being that free markets exist only in text books.

[larrymeyer]

I'm hearing a lot of what was said before we had to get into WWII. Well just give Hitler what he want and there will be no war. Poland is to far away to worry about. People forget when the Shah was ousted and the Ayatollah took over there were our people who were held hostage in our embassy.

Did we support the Shah sure Iran wasn't a Democracy then. It was a dictatorship much like today. And today Human rights groups still holler about the mistreatment of the people in these countries.

People yell till theres change and then yell because the change was worse then what they had originally. You must realize that America is a part of the world community like it or not. Just like on the forums there are rules and responsibilities that come with that membership.

So unless your willing to pull the troops and have them sitting in this country and risking another world war. Then I don't see an alternative to what we're doing now. In WWIII there will be more body bags coming home then you count.