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From: orb@whuxl.UUCP (SEVENER)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Re: Context of the Debate
Message-ID: <235@whuxl.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 18-Sep-84 08:42:13 EDT
Article-I.D.: whuxl.235
Posted: Tue Sep 18 08:42:13 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 03:06:51 EDT
References: <1052@ihuxm.UUCP> <1866@ucbvax.ARPA>
Organization: Bell Labs
Lines: 38

> 
> Besides, this sort of sympathy for revolutionary forces tends to
> lead to supporting acts like the overthrow of the Shah of
> Iran, who, despite the claims of Khomeni, was a very good ruler,
> and whose only mistake was limiting the power of the Islamic
> church in Iran.
> 	Wayne

Let me tell you what one of my friends from Iran told me about the Shah
and his regime.  (this "very good ruler") He was a sociology student
which meant reading Marx whether agreeing with Marx or not.  He went to
the library and could never find any volumes of Marx' writings.  Suddenly
one day some of Marx writings appeared in the library and he went to check
them out.  His name was placed on a list of subversives--as were all those
students who checked out any of Marx' writings--within a few weeks all of
Marx writings were again taken out of the library.  The SAVAK had discovered
the "subversives" they wanted.  (actually my friend was really moderate
and basically apolitical)
This is an incident I have direct awareness of through a friend.  But I also
know that the Shah's secret police (the SAVAK) was frequently cited by human
rights groups for murders and torture.  When the Shah of Iran was deposed
all of the Iranian students where I went to school (Indiana University)
had a big party to celebrate the event.  What does that say about the
Shah's support among his people?  
These students were not just peasants but the middle class and elite of Iran
who could afford to come to America to go to school.
Of course these students are now disappointed with the regime of Khomeini.
Some of them are trying to organize against Khomeini's regime.  But I
have never heard any Iranians I know of, say they wish the Shah were back or
that he hadn't been deposed.
And who do you suppose put this "very good ruler" on his throne?
The CIA in 1954 when they overthrew the government at the time to put the
Shah back in power.  
And Ronald Reagan blames the rest of the world for their anger with the
power-politics of the US and Soviet Union!
Tim Sevener
Bell Labs, Whippany
whuxl!orb