[Olog-hai]

Why is it necessary to be a “saint” to lead a country and maintain the peace?

Mossadegh did nothing good, bottom line. Why are you defending him? He destabilized Iran and stole from western oil companies that were helping his country stay afloat. He was a friend of the Soviets.

No, the point is that the leftists were allowed to help the Islamists stir up the “people” through their usual tactics of class warfare, to induce the removal of the rightful shah and establish an Islamic tyranny in its place. Whatever the last Shah did (including the establishment of SAVAK) was a reaction to that insurrection to keep the peace and keep a monster at bay. But you seem to want to fight the propaganda war of the Islamists and leftists for them.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Mossadegh did nothing good, bottom line. Why are you defending him?"

Please point out where I defended Mossadegh? Saying the Shah was a bastard was not a defense of Mossadegh. I've said they were both bastards.

What I have consistently said was there were no good guys as choices of leaders in Iran. That's why (in response to your original statement) the people did not rise up in protest when the shah was overthrown. You are the one that is apparently defending the practices of SAVAK. They were a bunch of disgusting sadists who used totalitarian tactics to keep the people "in line". That's why no one in Iran defended the Shah (other than his own people) when he went down. It does not mean that the Iranian people as a whole would not want a liberal democracy. They've never had one.