Replies to post #574319 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[jsc52033]

do you thijnk the peolple in (Persia ) Todays Iran will elect his son or will they
remain commited to the current terrible regime.
It seems the Iranians in USA are praising Trump but what about those in Iran

[blackhawks]

Life was phenomenal in Iran or under the Shah, yes he did mistakes, but he definitely was not corrupt.

'Definitely' is both anectodical and contra-factual.

Historical perspectives on the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, vary significantly depending on one's socio-economic and political lens. While many remember the era for its rapid Westernization, economic growth, and modernization, the regime also faced documented allegations of systemic corruption and authoritarianism that contributed to its 1979 downfall.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
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Economic and Social Life
Rapid Development: Under the White Revolution, the Shah implemented land reforms, literacy programs, and infrastructure projects that led to sustained economic growth, with real GDP per capita nearly tripling between 1950 and 1979.

Socio-Economic Divide: Benefits were unevenly distributed. Life was generally prosperous for the secular upper and middle classes, but the Westernization policies often brought little improvement to the lifestyle of the religiously conservative lower-middle class.

Infrastructure and Education: The era saw a massive increase in school enrollment and the development of major industries, such as car manufacturing and steel mills.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
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Corruption Allegations
Despite the Shah's personal claims of integrity, multiple historical and contemporary reports detail widespread corruption within his inner circle:

Pahlavi Foundation: Originally established as a charity, scholars and reports describe it as a vehicle that fostered official corruption. It reportedly served as a tax haven for the royal family's holdings, which included interests in 17 banks, 45 construction companies, and 70% of Iran's hotel capacity.

Royal Family Involvement: CIA reports from the mid-1970s characterized the royal court as a center of influence peddling. Specific allegations targeted the Shah's twin sister, Princess Ashraf, for financial corruption.

Billion-Dollar Mismanagement: By 1977, bureaucratic corruption was estimated to have involved at least $1 billion in misappropriated funds.

Shah’s Stance: The Shah often dismissed high-level corruption reports as "false rumors and fabrications". However, in a last-ditch effort to save his regime in November 1978, he publicly pledged to rectify past corruption.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
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Authoritarianism and Dissent
SAVAK: The Shah's secret police, SAVAK, was notorious for suppressing political dissent through censorship, arrests, and human rights abuses.

Political Restriction: In 1975, the Shah dissolved all political parties and mandated that all citizens join the Rastakhiz Party.
Wikipedia
Wikipedia
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AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses

[fuagf]

dinogreeves, you are not forming an opinion about the Shah because it seems your opinion on the Shah has been formed since childhood. That has to be at least one of the main reasons why you are so closed to information on the Shah's rule, to the negatives generally accepted, i'd guess, by virtually every independent expert on the Shah.

Consider: Black Friday (Persian: ???? ????, romanized: Jom'e-ye Siyah) was a mass shooting on 8 September 1978 (17 Shahrivar 1357 in the Solar
Hijri calendar) in Pahlavi Iran,[9] during which the Imperial Army of Iran killed 64 civilians[1][10][11] and injured 205 in Jaleh Square (Persian: ????? ????,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(1978)

You are right about Trump and if Trump had now the power the Shah had when his position was threatened
the Trump administration would have killed more American citizens on American soil than they have to date.

Think about it, for you to even minimally consider your

"I had and still do have many Persian friends, not one, not one iota of anyone complaining
about the Shah, from middle class to rich people and anyone in between"

could be in any way reflective of Iran as a whole would be exceptionally sloppy thinking. How do you see this AI opinion:

AI Overview

The claim that nobody in Iran complained about Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi during his reign is historically inaccurate. While the Shah modernized Iran and was supported by a segment of the population, his rule faced widespread, significant, and persistent opposition from various sectors of Iranian society.

Here is a breakdown of the evidence regarding complaints against the Shah:

* Widespread Opposition & Revolution: The 1979 Iranian Revolution was a broad-based uprising that toppled the Pahlavi dynasty, resulting from profound discontent with the Shah’s autocratic rule.

* Oppressive Rule and Secret Police: The Shah’s regime was characterized by authoritarianism and the use of SAVAK, a secret police force known for surveillance, torture, and the imprisonment of political dissidents.

* Religious Backlash: Pious Muslims and the Shia clergy strongly opposed the Shah's "White Revolution" (1963)—which included land reforms and women's enfranchisement—as well as his rapid westernization, secularization, and his perceived "subservience" to Western powers, particularly the United States.

* Intellectual and Political Dissent: Intellectuals, socialists, and communists criticized the lack of democratic freedoms, the ban on political parties (such as the forced creation of the one-party Rastakhiz party), and heavy censorship.

* Economic Grievances: While the 1970s oil boom brought wealth to some, it also caused high inflation, increased the wealth gap, and created shortages that led to worker strikes and dissatisfaction among the urban poor and the traditional merchant class (the Bazaar).

* Specific Public Protests: The late 1970s saw mass protests, including the "Ten Nights" of poetry readings where writers openly demanded the end of censorship, and the 1978 "Black Friday" massacre where protesters were killed by government forces.

While some Iranians today recall the era with nostalgia, comparing it favorably to the current regime, this does not mean there was no opposition at the time. The 1979 revolution was the culmination of long-standing complaints against the Shah's, and his father's, policies.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=fact+claim+that+nobody+in+iran+in+the+Shah%27s+time++complained+about+him+