Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Charlatan
Seems to me that instead of setting up the authoritarian Shah they should have worked to become friends with Iran... a mutual customer. Oil for finished goods. Military support for their growning democracy in the face of Russian aquisitiveness...
Of course this is all hindsight. But I just feel that given the results of those action, perhaps they should try something else...
|
With few exceptions (W. Europe), the United States has consistently chosen to support dictators we thought we could 'manage' over democracies which we could not control or perhaps even predict. Invariably we allow ourselves to be deluded into believing that having 'strong leaders' at the top is in the best interest of the people, more so than allowing them to choose their own way. These layers of deceit can remain for years even after the exposure of the truth.
Democracy doesn't guarantee good decision making, far from it, but dictatorship is about as close as you can get to a guarantee for bad results. At least in a democracy, the people face the consequences of their own choices, instead of merely being forced to accept the brunt of an authoritarian's dictates.
I agree, it's time to try something else...