Dem 47
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The Son of the Former Shah of Iran Wants His Dad's Old Job

One person who is following the developments in Iran closely and is fervently hoping for regime change there is Reza Pahlavi. His dad was the former Shah of Iran until fleeing the country in Jan. 1979, moving between countries until he ended up dying of cancer in Egypt. If the Iranian people decide that they have had enough of the ayatollahs and are looking for a new leader, Pahlavi is definitely interested in taking over the family business. He might not even be the ruthless dictator dad was. Times have changed. Since there is no viable political opposition within Iran itself, Pahlavi might be a plausible leader, at least during a transition period. He could later become a monarch without any real power, like King Charles III, but could be the official head of the country to provide a rallying point for people opposed to Islamic rule. Here is dad with his buddy, Richard Nixon:

The former shah of Iran with Richard Nixon

Pahlavi has been attacking the ayatollahs from afar for 5 decades, but this might be his moment, depending on how things develop there. At least he gives an answer to the question many Iranians are thinking: "If not the ayatollahs, then who?" Pahlavi recently said: "I am stepping forward to lead this national transition. I have a clear plan." On a social media post, he said if the current regime can't MIGA (Make Iran Great Again), then the Iranian people should rally around him to let him try. When was Iran last great? The ayatollahs think about 1,400 years ago, when Mohammed roamed the area. Pahlavi is probably going back further—say, 2,600 years to Cyrus the Great.

Since the shah was deposed almost half a century ago, only people in their 70s or older remember much about his rule. The closest parallel today is Xi Jinping. The shah was a brutal dictator, but he also worked to improve the lives of ordinary Iranians. He just didn't want anyone interfering with his plans. He built a modern economy, created jobs, and pulled many people out of poverty. Under the shah, women did not have to be covered from head to toe, and could drive cars, study at universities, and have paying jobs in government and private companies. As long as people didn't criticize him, life kept improving. The more Westernized view of women’s rights went away when the ayatollahs took over. Most older women probably remember the good things about the shah rather than the bad things and might well tell their daughters and granddaughters.

Pahlavi has a strong following in the Iranian diaspora. Since no one else does, that is a big head start. Of course, for Pahlavi to make a comeback, first the Iranian people have to rise up and depose the current regime. The B2 bomber can do a lot of things, but deposing the current regime isn't one of them. That is up to the people of Iran. (V)



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