Comments on: Obama on Iran, McCain on His High Horse http://www.undiplomatic.net/2009/06/16/obama-on-iran-mccain-on-his-high-horse/ Bringing foreign policy back, girl. Those other countries don't know how to act. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:48:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Midwest McGarry http://www.undiplomatic.net/2009/06/16/obama-on-iran-mccain-on-his-high-horse/#comment-36711 Midwest McGarry Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:53:04 +0000 http://www.undiplomatic.net/?p=3362#comment-36711 I saw Senator John McCain on the Today show this morning criticizing the Obama Administration’s response to events in Iran. But the sheer audacity and barf-inducing nature of his comments did not hit me until I saw the transcript of his remarks. When asked what the United States should be doing about Iran McCain said, “We do what we have done throughout the Cold War and afterwards, we speak up for the people of Tehran and Iran and all the cities all over that country who have been deprived of one of their fundamental rights.” As you point out, Charlie.... does anyone remember what we, the good guys, actually did in Iran during the Cold War? Anyone? Look, I am no "blame America first" blogger. I know we did some nasty stuff during the Cold War which probably needed to be done. But no one can deny we got into bed with some dictators in the name of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." And nowhere was this on display more than in Iran. In the early 1950’s, Mohammad Mosaddeq was a very popular (and democratically elected) prime minister of Iran. But British and American intelligence said Mosaddeq was tilting Iran toward the Soviet Union. The West orchestrated a coup. Mosaddeq was out, and the Shah assumed dictatorial powers. The Shah proved to be a reliable ally of the West until he was overthrown in 1979 when the current revolutionary government of Iran came into power. If someone wants to defend this as a necessary but unpleasant, undemocratic chapter in a larger battle against global tyranny, fine. But how in the world can a U.S. Senator claim America spent the Cold War as a champion of the fundamental, democratic rights of the Iranian people? Bleh. I saw Senator John McCain on the Today show this morning criticizing the Obama Administration’s response to events in Iran. But the sheer audacity and barf-inducing nature of his comments did not hit me until I saw the transcript of his remarks.

When asked what the United States should be doing about Iran McCain said, “We do what we have done throughout the Cold War and afterwards, we speak up for the people of Tehran and Iran and all the cities all over that country who have been deprived of one of their fundamental rights.”

As you point out, Charlie…. does anyone remember what we, the good guys, actually did in Iran during the Cold War? Anyone?

Look, I am no “blame America first” blogger. I know we did some nasty stuff during the Cold War which probably needed to be done. But no one can deny we got into bed with some dictators in the name of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” And nowhere was this on display more than in Iran.

In the early 1950’s, Mohammad Mosaddeq was a very popular (and democratically elected) prime minister of Iran. But British and American intelligence said Mosaddeq was tilting Iran toward the Soviet Union. The West orchestrated a coup. Mosaddeq was out, and the Shah assumed dictatorial powers. The Shah proved to be a reliable ally of the West until he was overthrown in 1979 when the current revolutionary government of Iran came into power.

If someone wants to defend this as a necessary but unpleasant, undemocratic chapter in a larger battle against global tyranny, fine. But how in the world can a U.S. Senator claim America spent the Cold War as a champion of the fundamental, democratic rights of the Iranian people?

Bleh.

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