A Fateful Decision That Led to the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis

First Person - Foreign Policy

C

This entire podcast connected with the Iran project that I did last term.  The general politics and partisan religious split made sense to me.  This was very similar to other times that America has overthrown the original government, messy, with unintended consequences, and motivated by finances.  This connected to the Taliban, to Nicaragua, and America's very own revolution. 

E

I hadn't realised the partisan nature of the US's involvement in the evacuation and accommodation of the Shah.  In hindsight, it should have been obvious, but I assumed that the US government was fully behind the shelter offered, but actually, the carter administration seemed to be very against the idea of sheltering the Shah, because it doesn't actually make any sense to shelter him from the governmental point of view.  Like climate change denialism, like big Pharma, like pyramid schemes, like cycles of economic regression in poorer (and blacker) neighbourhoods, the corporation destroys people for its own interest.  Lobbyists who are backed by huge money can do huge things, even if it kills people.

C

I was challenged by the realisation of how little control I truly have over my life.  Almost everyone affected by this decision suffered except for a few extremely rich bankers.  Those seeking reparation, those seeking reconciliation, those seeking oil, and those seeking peace all were negatively impacted, and it continues to destroy lives in the middle east to this day.  So what I learned is that for a large part, the decision made that will vastly affect the direction and standard of my life will not be made by me or someone I voted for.  It will often be someone who is either A) stupid, or B) cares only for their own pocket. 

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