Focus Visually On Iran

Mehrban Jan it's Called 'Reciprocity' amongst deemed 'Allies'

Mehrban Jan it's Called Reciprocity amongst Allies ...

Do you see Ahmadinejad as a Western Ally ? ... 

But then I guess you Never heard of the G 8 or G 20 summits where World Leaders are asked about issues beyond their own country's borders ?

Chicago 2012 G8 Summit

The Shah was considered rightly or wrongly as the 'Gendarme of the Gulf' guaranteeing the safe passage of the World's Crude Oil and Iran's navy was dominating the Seas in the region with Warships navigating as far as the Indian Ocean to the shores of Somalia and the Corn of Africa eversince Great Britain abandoned the Persian Gulf.

PAN IRANIST: Pezeshkpour objects to Shah's decision on Bahrain Independence (1971)

A time when an Iranian "subject" just like their Monarchs didn't need a visa to travel abroad to the most remote region:

ROYALTY: Shah and Shahbanou visit Australia (1974) 

Unlike today's "citizens" forced out of their country at the risk of drowning on their way:

without the guarantee of being delivered an assylum status:

Australia debating asylum bill (bbc) 

The Shah could afford "Ponfiticating" and "advising" the West on what to do to ease regional tensions beyond Iran's boarders, particularly when asked about them.

I don't see any form of Pontification or self satisfaction in his remarks but merely a concerned leader who is worried about the lack of commitment of his deemed western allies in balancing Soviet Hegemony.

Two years after Peter Snow asked the Shah about why he felt the Soviet Union was a threat and why did Iran need so many armements, the Russians entered Kabul and Saddam Attacked Iran.

The Shah was the unsung Architect of the Camp David Accords. It was his "pontification" that helped Sadat reach out to the West and Leave the Soviet Sphere of influence which ultimately led to the negotiations with Israel and the Famous Camp David Accords for which Iran got no credit at the Nobel Peace Prize of 1977. 

pictory: (SURPRISE) Shah and Sadat Pro Palestine Statement (1975)

Iran also played an important role during the Nixon Era in breaking the ice between China and the US:

pictory: Shahbanou Farah visits China's Great Wall (1970's)

And offered medical help during the Vietnam conflict to both sides:

M.A.S.H. : Iranian Nurses Provide Help to Injured Vietnamese (1966)

It is only natural when you participate as an actor on the World stage, respect bilateral relations between nations and abide to International norms of diplomacy ( no hostage taking or calling to wipe another country off the map) particularly when in addition you play a constructive role and offer to help your allies to be expected in turn to express your viewpoint on your allies Foreign Policy.

It's not Pontification but Reciprocity ! 

If that fact makes you equate the Shah's foreign Policy and long term vision with Your Republic's President shortsighted And Belicose Rhetoric then indeed the Past is a Foreign Country where as the present is an Alien one ...

But I clearly see that 3 decades of Blind Character Assassination and Denial by Iranian Jomhurykhahs ( Secular or Not) have done enough damage on the mindsets of the young generation to equate today's disastrous and virtually totalitarian mentality with an authorative yet constructive leadership which had Iran's long term interests on mind.

But then you are not to blame ...

When Our deemed educated and intellectual community considers the likes of Muhammad Amini as the "Crème de La Crème" of Iranian historians:

PAHLAVI: Arezoohayeh Mohamad Ali Shahy by Mohamed Amini

Or fails to see the mediocrity and ANN TELECTUAL void of the likes Bahram Moshiri:

Constitutionalist Khosro Fravahar Responds to Bahram Moshiri’s Assessments on Pahlavi Rule

Or Praises any Crap coming out of the mouth of a deemed "artist" ...

DOWNTON ABBEY: Ebrahim Golestan "Vomits" on Shah's Coronation & calls Ferdowsi a 'Racist'  

then no wonder that your generation can't see the difference between "Patriotism" and "Nationalism", "dictatorship" and "totalitarianism", "democracy" and "authoritarianism", "Jomhuriatkhahy" and "Jomhurykhahy", "Modernity" and "Progress"  and many other "words" you have come to learn and repeat without ever truly understanding what they actually mean in the context of your own country's history ...

MONARCHY MATTERS: Khosro Fravahar say’s Iranian Jomhurykahs live in denial

But then I guess everything is Relative these days ...

RELATIVE VALUES: Stephen Fry & Colin Firth Share Opposite Views on the Monarchy 

Sigh ... 

DK

PS:Mehraban Jan by "YOU" I don't necessarily mean YOU the individual but the mindset of your Jomhurykhah Constituency ( Secular or Not) ... so please don't take my comment personally. I don't question your intellect nor independence of thought. I just observe through your natural reaction the amount of work that still needs to be done to finally see a balanced understanding of this era by the young generation who had no role in the calamity of the past 3 decades which befell on them.

Related:

FED UP WITH POLITICAL CORRECTNESS: Ahmadinejad is NOT my Prime Minister !

How YOUR "Green" Color Was Chosen & By WHOME ! 

Wow, he was one heck of a crystal ball!

Such great wisdom & foresight shine through the words of this self-designated King of Kings (KoK).  He advises the West, in particular Britain, that they're underarmed compared to the Soviets, evidently, not aware that while the Soviets may have been ahead in quantity, the West, in particular the US, was considerably ahead in quality and technology.  He wanted to horde high tech British tanks to scare off the Russkies.  If the Soviets had any intention of attacking Iran, the only deterrence would have been the Nato-Warsaw Pact confrontation that would have ensued; otherwise, they could have readily rolled over the KoK's collection of tanks.  His overconfidence in his own impeccable strategic thinking and the West's laxity was clearly borne out when a year later the KoK was overthrown by forces that marshalled no tanks, the Soviets were gone in about a decade and the US emerged as the sole superpower.

Just as impressive is the KoK's wisdom in the economic sphere: The Brits were too lazy, working too little for too many benefits.  In contrast, he would keep the wages & benefits low for the masses of the rural poor that had migrated to urban areas in search of work, thereby turning them into disenchanted foot soldiers of the revolution, while needlessly pouring fortunes into the coffers of Western armament manufacurers (buying 2-3 times more tanks from Britain than they themselves possessed) or into state projects that could not be completed.  He brought Iran so close to the pearly gates of the Golden Civilization that Imam Khomeini (IKh) had no choice but to dive right through it.  He claims in the interview that the West was suffering from a lack of leadership.  It's pretty evident that Iran has suffered from way too much leadership.

this is one of the most bizarre interviews I have heard

Why is the king of Iran asked about what Europe and the West should do and how much armament they need?  And why does the king of Iran publically  take the bate and pontificate about what they should do.  Unless  "past is a different country".  

He sounds a little like AhmadiNejad saying he (IR) wants to manage the world. 

roohesh shad....

he was a great patriot.....

just compare this interview with the ones given by that idiot, illiterate akhoond- khomeini! he can't even speak correct farsi, let alone english or any other foreign language....

a true disgrace for iran an it's people, that she has to be ruled by a bunch of barbarians in the 21st century 

Good interview

Thanks Tapesh for sharing. He is very relax, and shows no sign of physical illness. History will be kind to him, as well as younger generation of Iranians. Roohash shad. 

آقا این هم دوریالی من

Poor chap did not know how to learn from his subjects and subordinates.  All and all a world away from today's mini minds ruling our country now.  The Shah was on the right track in that he and his team cared for Iran.  روانش شاد

DK those who actually worked with the Late Shah

as well as those that came to know him like the interviewer, Snow, knew the Shah was a Democratic leader.

His Majesty did alot of good, before the powerful became the main source for disingenuously slandering him and his team.  For Intelligent Iranians, not just monarchists, losing the Shah was one of the saddest and most devastating personal losses of their entire lives. Such was the impact of thwarting Iranians through manipulation, deception and betrayal.

Thanks fozolie Jan

Yes that's the name.

Merci

Peter Snow Dariush Jaan

He is also an elections' specialist. Any election coverage is not the same without him.  

Dan Snow is his historian and documentary filmmaker son . 

Mr. Fozolie

Intelligent answers with Fore Sight

Great Interview.

Rouhash SHAD.  HE Meant Well for IRANIANS.

Frankly this was an excellent interview

In its ability to speak all sides of the truth to future generations.  The Late Shah comments were insightful then and today are extremely powerful reminder and document for Intelligent Iranians who have a need to help their fellow man and realize as one of our famous iranian poets wrote, the Shah needs Intelligent people around him, more than intelligent people need the shah to be around them.

Listen at 12.01 amazing.  We were infact more democratic, not as a system, but in the practical actions of our late Shah. 

Thankyou for creating the greatest rate of growth of middle class in the world your majesty, hand in hand with education. 

Thankyou for focussing on the needs of the majority and Not of the few. 

Thankyou for tactfully pointing out that the powerful usa/uk/france are abusing the weak horrifically & under the guise of democracy, while their actions have no interest in democracy, like funding khomeini and his organization in the past and today organizing and funding extremism like the muslim brotherhood in Egypt and supporting the Al-quaeda linked NTC in Libya.  It requires immense bias to not see how good you are and were to Iranians in your generous spirit, No matter what you faced, which would require alot of ignorance to not know it today.

Khoda Biamorse

Excellent Responses Your Majesty ;0)

Particularly in regard to the British Monarch's Fortune and the British interference in choosing Iran's former PM ... or on the social inequalities between Rich and Poor in the West. How easy shots were made against you when the West's Financers who today are responsible for the economic crisis lectured everyone on "democracy" and "human rights" but were filling their own pockets without the slightest scruples ...

Sarkozy' ham goft: Travaillez Plus pour Gagner Plus !

But alas he was ousted for all the wrong reasons too !  

Alas nations and people don't like to hear the truth ! 

PS: I forgot this British Journalist's Name by the way but I recall reading an article where he was actually quite fond of the Shah and admired his patriotism and the Shah's fairplay in his interviews accepting any question submitted to him even when controversial or rude. He actually was far more polite than Mike Wallace. If I'm not mistaken he is actually a great specialist of the Napoleonic Era and wrote a book on the Duke of Wellington and his exploits at Waterloo. His son has become a successful documentary filmmaker too.