By Chris Hedges
Iranians do not need or want us to teach them about liberty and representative government. They have long embodied this struggle. It is we who need to be taught. It was Washington that orchestrated the 1953 coup to topple Iran's democratically elected government, the first in the Middle East, and install the compliant shah in power. It was Washington that forced Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh, a man who cared as much for his country as he did for the rule of law and democracy, to spend the rest of his life under house arrest. We gave to the Iranian people the corrupt regime of the shah and his savage secret police and the primitive clerics that rose out of the swamp of the dictator's Iran. Iranians know they once had a democracy until we took it away.

The fundamental problem in the Middle East is not a degenerate and corrupt Islam. The fundamental problem is a degenerate and corrupt Christendom. We have not brought freedom and democracy and enlightenment to the Muslim world. We have brought the opposite. We have used the iron fist of the American military to implant our oil companies in Iraq, occupy Afghanistan and ensure that the region is submissive and cowed. We have supported a government in Israel that has carried out egregious war crimes in Lebanon and Gaza and is daily stealing ever greater portions of Palestinian land. We have established a network of military bases, some the size of small cities, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Kuwait, and we have secured basing rights in the Gulf states of Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. We have expanded our military operations to Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Egypt, Algeria and Yemen. And no one naively believes, except perhaps us, that we have any intention of leaving.

We are the biggest problem in the Middle East. We have through our cruelty and violence created and legitimized the Mahmoud Ahmadinejads and the Osama bin Ladens. The longer we lurch around the region dropping iron fragmentation bombs and seizing Muslim land the more these monsters, reflections of our own distorted image, will proliferate. The theologian Reinhold Niebuhr wrote that "the most significant moral characteristic of a nation is its hypocrisy." But our hypocrisy no longer fools anyone but ourselves. It will ensure our imperial and economic collapse.

The history of modern Iran is the history of a people battling tyranny. These tyrants were almost always propped up and funded by foreign powers. This suppression and distortion of legitimate democratic movements over the decades resulted in the 1979 revolution that brought the Iranian clerics to power, unleashing another tragic cycle of Iranian resistance.

"The central story of Iran over the last 200 years has been national humiliation at the hands of foreign powers who have subjugated and looted the country," Stephen Kinzer, the author of "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror," told me. "For a long time the perpetrators were the British and Russians. Beginning in 1953, the United States began taking over that role. In that year, the American and British secret services overthrew an elected government, wiped away Iranian democracy, and set the country on the path to dictatorship."

"Then, in the 1980s, the U.S. sided with Saddam Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war, providing him with military equipment and intelligence that helped make it possible for his army to kill hundreds of thousands of Iranians," Kinzer said. "Given this history, the moral credibility of the U.S. to pose as a promoter of democracy in Iran is close to nil.

Especially ludicrous is the sight of people in Washington calling for intervention on behalf of democracy in Iran when just last year they were calling for the bombing of Iran. If they had had their way then, many of the brave protesters on the streets of Tehran today-the ones they hold up as heroes of democracy-would be dead now."

Washington has never recovered from the loss of Iran-something our intelligence services never saw coming. The overthrow of the shah, the humiliation of the embassy hostages, the laborious piecing together of tiny shreds of paper from classified embassy documents to expose America's venal role in thwarting democratic movements in Iran and the region, allowed the outside world to see the dark heart of the American empire. Washington has demonized Iran ever since, painting it as an irrational and barbaric country filled with primitive, religious zealots. But Iranians, as these street protests illustrate, have proved in recent years far more courageous in the defense of democracy than most Americans.

Where were we when our election was stolen from us in 2000 by Republican operatives and a Supreme Court that overturned all legal precedent to anoint George W. Bush president? Did tens of thousands of us fill the squares of our major cities and denounce the fraud? Did we mobilize day after day to restore transparency and accountability to our election process? Did we fight back with the same courage and tenacity as the citizens of Iran? Did Al Gore defy the power elite and, as opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi has done, demand a recount at the risk of being killed?

President Obama retreated in his Cairo speech into our spectacular moral nihilism, suggesting that our crimes matched the crimes of Iran, that there is, in his words, "a tumultuous history between us." He went on: "In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically elected Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians." It all, he seemed to say, balances out.

I am no friend of the Iranian regime, which helped create and arm Hezbollah, is certainly meddling in Iraq, has persecuted human rights activists, gays, women and religious and ethnic minorities, embraces racism and intolerance and uses its power to deny popular will. But I do not remember Iran orchestrating a coup in the United States to replace an elected government with a brutal dictator who for decades persecuted, assassinated and imprisoned democracy activists. I do not remember Iran arming and funding a neighboring state to wage war against our country. Iran never shot down one of our passenger jets as did the USS Vincennes-caustically nicknamed Robocruiser by the crews of other American vessels-when in June 1988 it fired missiles at an Airbus filled with Iranian civilians, killing everyone on board. Iran is not sponsoring terrorism within the United States, as our intelligence services currently do in Iran. The attacks on Iranian soil include suicide bombings, kidnappings, beheadings, sabotage and "targeted assassinations" of government officials, scientists and other Iranian leaders. What would we do if the situation was reversed? How would we react if Iran carried out these policies against us?

We are, and have long been, the primary engine for radicalism in the Middle East. The greatest favor we can do for democracy activists in Iran, as well as in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Gulf and the dictatorships that dot North Africa, is withdraw our troops from the region and begin to speak to Iranians and the rest of the Muslim world in the civilized language of diplomacy, respect and mutual interests. The longer we cling to the doomed doctrine of permanent war the more we give credibility to the extremists who need, indeed yearn for, an enemy that speaks in their crude slogans of nationalist cant and violence. The louder the Israelis and their idiot allies in Washington call for the bombing of Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions, the happier are the bankrupt clerics who are ordering the beating and murder of demonstrators. We may laugh when crowds supporting Ahmadinejad call us "the Great Satan," but there is a very palpable reality that has informed the terrible algebra of their hatred.

Our intoxication with our military prowess blinds us to all possibilities of hope and mutual cooperation. It was Mohammed Khatami, the president of Iran from 1997 to 2005-perhaps the only honorable Middle East leader of our time-whose refusal to countenance violence by his own supporters led to the demise of his lofty "civil society" at the hands of more ruthless, less scrupulous opponents. It was Khatami who proclaimed that "the death of even one Jew is a crime." And we sputtered back to this great and civilized man the primitive slogans of all deformed militarists. We were captive, as all bigots are, to our demons, and could not hear any sound but our own shouting. It is time to banish these demons. It is time to stand not with the helmeted goons who beat protesters, not with those in the Pentagon who make endless wars, but with the unarmed demonstrators in Iran who daily show us what we must become.

The fight of the Iranian people is our fight. And, perhaps for the first time, we can match our actions to our ideals. We have no right under post-Nuremberg laws to occupy Iraq or Afghanistan. These occupations are defined by these statutes as criminal "wars of aggression." They are war crimes. We have no right to use force, including the state-sponsored terrorism we unleash on Iran, to turn the Middle East into a private gas station for our large oil companies. We have no right to empower Israel's continuing occupation of Palestine, a flagrant violation of international law. The resistance you see in Iran will not end until Iranians, and all those burdened with repression in the Middle East, free themselves from the tyranny that comes from within and without. Let us, for once, be on the side of those who share our democratic ideals.
(c) 2009 Chris Hedges, the former Middle East bureau chief for The New York Times, spent seven years in the Middle East. He was part of the paper's team of reporters who won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for coverage of global terrorism. He is the author of War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning. His latest book is American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America.

http://www.issuesandalibis.org/

Have you Read "The Secret History of the American Empire."


Yeah.. we have the image of Freedom and Free Society and Anti-Imperialistic... but in Reality we are the current Imperialistic Leader thru Oil Contracts and World Bank Organizations without the use of a military to physically occupying a colony.

We wear the sheep's clothing of Christianity.

If it is not us in this Global position, some other country will take our place. Like Germany, UK, France, etc... we just got better at it that anyone else after WWII.

The system cannot be stopped. It will consume you and corrupt you whether you are with the system or going against the system.
Hugo Chavas sounds like he knows what he is up against... but the longer he stays in power and change things... the worst he will be as a leader and dictator like.

I don't know.
But so far my solution is as God says... be like an Alien to this world. BTW, The Christian Right is the system using Religion to control the masses.

"The fundamental problem is a degenerate and corrupt Christendom."
There is Truth in Christianity, but the system uses that Truth by cherrypicking and warping it to fit its political agenda. Just like how the Terrorists using Islam.

If I were to fight the system (would also be called the World order to Christians), I would aim at the Christian Right. IT is absolutely Blasphame and Evil what they are doing. It is like using Jesus to endorse Pepsi except they are using it to endorse a Political Party ..... FOOORRRR FREEEEEEE.

We need to stop being the Government police of the world. We are the new kids on the block, after all is said and done.

Really.... When was the last time a christian beheaded a person for not converting.
What christian country has a SUPREME LEADER who has a their only qualifying point a fanatical and unrealistic hard my god is better than you god view of the world.

What Muslim country attacked and occupied the US?

HAHA!!!! You only exist on the surface of reality.

You are right... we, Christians don't behead people for not converting.
But we kill Heads of States for not signing contracts.
It is a simple offer to heads of states... sign the Western Favorable contracts (which screws the indigeous people) and the indigeous elected Leader will become a harsh Dictator with lots of American Cash and all his kids are guarantee paid College tuitions and American Jobs to funnel additional Cash. If you don't sign you die.

If you can't understand how it is done... just do the Math. The ending result is Country's with vast Natural Resources are the poorest and the people are poor... have you ever ask the question "Why"?

Religion is not the culprit... but an instrument used to control people by Evil people. Christianity was hijacked for Political Power. Islam like Christianity.. in itself is against the system and world order... it is a rallying voice against the system of greed and everything worldly.

The System that we support and have a blind eye too is the one that causes world hunger and proverty. It is the modern version of Colonialization without an occupational Army... just a Dictator and a contract. We didn't start the system, we just got to be the best at it. If it is not us, it would be another country doing it.

Gold is one of natural resources but today it is Oil and it is linked to our dollars. When Nixon Administration stopped backing Cash with Gold they made an agreement that same year to trade Oil only in American Cash... forever tying our money to that resource and power. Oil is power... It is worth more than gold and it provides power to our military.

Saddam was one of our hitman. He is the model Dictator that we like in power... ruthless and total control of population. (Remember the picture of Saddam shaking hands with Rumsfield.) The best way to get to a Head of State is to bribe his bodyguard. Saddam was trained by us to kill the previous leader. Saddam knows our tactics and hence hired many actors unbeknownst to the teams of BodyGuards whether they are guarding the real Saddam.

We didn't get to be the most powerful nation in the world just by playing nice. We did alot of dirty things.

The Supreme Leader and Iran was the results of our failed attempts at controlling their resource. Something that we can not infiltrate with our system of religion and tempt with our vices (culture). They are the extreme answer to our extreme tactics.

A democracy of one dictatorship?

I have read some pretty scarey stuff here at Mingle, but if you want scarey, here is a transcript of a conversation with this Chris Hedges.. I never read horror stories because I don't particularly like to be scared out of my mind, but turns out what's going on in the world around is us much more horrifying.

Anyway this transcript is mind blowing but not suprising.

Click here to the transcipt

Our SUPREME LEADER was Bush.

Meshing Religion with Politics, in which, the WORD of God is MIXED with Man's Political Agenda. It is a very definite line that you have to be a Pro-life to be a Christian or Anti-Gay to be a Christian.

Yeah... you will tell me you don't have to be Pro-Life to be Christian but yet you are. And All Christian Right are.

To be a Christian you shouldn't compromise your moral values. That means Torture is Wrong.

History will show how the Christian Right movement have dubbed everyone... just like how they did in the past for KKK

I agree. I think if people can pull themselves away from the media circus of Palin/Jackson and look into the torture photos of Abu Graib they will be discusted beyond belief at what has been done in their name with our tax dollars. The torture issue should be the main focus of our media circus. regardless of the thinking behind it we violated the basic rights of every human being.

Those are All Diversion and Deceptions.

I remember when Bush would use the Gay issue and Religious issues to get us away from Focus.



After some careful thinking... the Focus should be on the Christian Right. This is absolute the most Evil Cancerous Threat to our Free Democratic Country.

It's message has nothing to do with God or God's Will but only to shield itself in the Cloth of the Lamb under false pretense of Family value, anti-Gay, and Pro-Life. In Which, statistically Christians have a higher rate of divorce than non-Christians... where is the Family Value in that. Gay rights and people are not destroying Family Values, but your hippocratical lies and empty hollow religion is.

You know, Abortion is such a none issue.
I would have "no more Abortion ever" in this country, but the state would fund Birth control pills and Morning after Pill and Total Health care of ALL unwanted Children born into this world.

Of course that would never happen. The GOP would never allow no more Abortion ever in this country. That would mean 100% of their voting supports would disappear. They would have to find another Religious Heart Wrenching Issue that would further limit Freedom for "FFFAmmily Valuuue", until we are just like a Freedomless Islam State.

http://www.historycommons.org/searchResults.jsp?searchtext=iran&events=on&entities=on&articles=on&topics=on&timelines=on&projects=on&titles=on&descriptions=on&dosearch=on&search=Go#events

Good article, thanks

What make this a Christian country???? Are not all religions allowed to be worshiped here??????? A freedom guaranteed by the Constitution!!!!

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We never were a Christian nation most of the prominant founding fathers were Diests. They never wanted this country to SINK into a theocracy.

Interestingly enough, the role of the British was left out of this article.

Here is a little history lesson.

In 1941, when the British and Russians believed that the Shah would side with the Germans and they simultaneously invaded. Reza Shah abdicated, and his son ascended to power. Iran's role in the defeat of the advancing German army was highly important. The allies used Iran to ship millions of tons of munitions into Russia. During the war the new ruler established a sound relationship with the west and russia.

In 1951 Mossadeq was put in power by the majlis, or Iranian Parliament. Hardly the case for a so called democratically elected leader.

Mossadeq angered the British by ending their domination of Irans oil industry. Churchill decided he wanted him gone, and with "help" from the US and the Iranian Islamic Establishment, formulated a plan to oust him.

The simple fact is that if the British weren't so greedy, the coup would have never been necessary..

I guess those trivial details don't matter when your goal is to trash this country.

Please provide a source for your revised history, this is what wikipedia says
In 1941 Reza Shah Pahlavi abdicated in favor of his son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and by 1944 Mosaddeq was once again elected to parliament. This time he took the lead of Jebhe Melli (National Front of Iran), an organization he had founded with nineteen others like Dr.Hossein Fatemi, Ahmad Zirakzadeh, Ali Shayegan and Karim Sanjabi, aiming to establish democracy and end the foreign presence in Iranian politics, especially by nationalizing the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company's (AIOC) operations in Iran
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossadeq

More from Wiky
Mossadegh was a fervent Monarchist. Many times he reminds in his writings his great fidelity for the Shah and the Monarchy. Moreover, Mossadegh was opposed to the Toudeh party and to communism, having a great respect for private property. However, he also had a great social spirit. Following his orders, the monthly salary he had to receive each time he was deputy or minister was distributed to poor students. Contrary to the majority of the Iranian political personalities, Mossadegh paid his taxes very scrupulously and had become one of the greatest taxpayers of Iran. During the White Revolution of the Shah, he voluntarly distributed all his estates and ordered his children to do the same.

Mossadegh is regarded as a great democrat who did everything he could to defend the people of Iran. He was also a secular person: he did not let Mehdi Bazargan take the post of Minister of Culture because he considered him being too religious for this post, thinking he would "put the veil on the head of all the girls in schools".

Mossadegh was probably the most pro-american Prime minister Iran had ever had[45]. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mossadeq

Iran has had many forms of government over 1000's of years.

Democracy has been there at times and at others kingdoms, empires and theocracy's...

The people there usually end up with the form of government THEY want... In spite of influence not because of it.