[emilsedgh]

As a Jewish born Iranian atheist refugee to the states who protested against Iran a few years ago in Iran, I'd have to say, you're pretty wrong on this one.

I hate Islamic Republic with every single cell in my body but you're just wrong.

* U.S. plain and simply fucked Iran up with a coup at 1953.

* Then helped Islamic Republic gain power in 1979. (This is up for debate though)

* Then helped Saddam Hussein attack Iran.

* Then sanctioned the country to the verge of bankruptcy.

* Then made a deal and backed out of it for no reason (Internal politics?)

[tssva]

Iran was already fucked up of its own doing before the 1953 coup. For the last few centuries Iran's history had been alternating periods of civil war and regional agression on Iran's part.

The late 19th century was marked by occupation by Russia and the Ottoman empire. Following defeats in wars which Iran generally had provoked.

Once Iran became a constitutional monarchy in the early 20th century political instability reigned as forces loyal to the monarchy fought for power with those with a more democratic bent. Between 1947-1951 Iran had 6 different prime ministers. The coup itself was really a continuation of this political battle with the US helping the forces loyal to the monarchy.

Iran also didn't help itself during WW2 by choosing to technically remain neutral while allowing a large German presence and German utilization of the oil fields. This led to a joint British and Russian occupation to drive the Germans out.

Even today Iran's economic woes although made worse by sanctions is mostly rooted in economic policy decisions and large scale corruption which feeds money to those backed by the revolutionary guard at the expense of the people.

But it is easier to blame the big bad West for all your woes rather than take an introspective look at your own culpability.

[emilsedgh]

Path to democracy is not easy, specially in an oil-rich country like Iran.

We've had our moments that we were getting close. Now those moments are quite fragile. Every single time the U.S. has kicked us in the nuts in those moments.

Examples are this very same moment, where the economic sanctions and the reformists finally convinced the hardliners to talk to the U.S.

Supreme Leader finally gave it a thumbs up. And he raised his concerns back then that the U.S. cannot be trusted but if that's what people want it's OK to do it.

He was right. The U.S. could not be trusted. Now reformists have lost all credibility. In 2 years we have another election and for sure a batshit crazy like Ahmadinejad is going to be elected.

Same happened around 9/11. We had a really strong reformist movement and government. Then, out of nowhere, president Bush named Iran a part of "axis of evil". That gave the hardliners enough of a reason to push back against major reforms.

Jack Straw (British foreign minister of the time) has good notes on this if you're more interested.

1953's coup was another moment like that. Actually that's probably the closest we've ever been.

Now, if Iran is moving towards democracy, and at the most important moments, you kick it in the nuts, you "are" part of the problem.

[toyg]

You have not really disproven most of the more recent issues he brought up. The US (and Britain) did have a big hand in the struggle that culminated in the Iranian revolution: for fear of getting a USSR ally, they got a completely out-of-control regime and then have fought it with the dirtiest tricks they could muster ever since. Sure, nobody is fully innocent, but that doesn't justify acting like a c*nt in return; it actually justifies blaming "the big bad West" and helping the worst sectors of Iranian society. Isolation always helps this sort of regime, see also: fascist Italy, socialist Cuba and so on.

[resters]

As an American, I am so ashamed that we did this to your country.

The humanitarian toll of US policies is hard to fathom.