#1 Too bad most of these people weren't even born yet when the Shah was dragging Iran kicking and screaming into the 20th century. Otherwise they might have a stronger appreciation for just how very little wealth is trickling down from their fabulously wealthy Mullahs in Tehran.
In the early years after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the government was reluctant to import spare parts from Europe and the U.S. Instead, it insisted on manufacturing inferior replacements inside Iran and, later, on shutting down functioning equipment to provide spare parts for other machines.
This catastrophic deterioration of Iran's industrial sector is a direct result of
Khomeini's program of khodkafa'i, or self-sufficiency and it has had all the beneficial aspects of China's "Great Leap Forward" that encouraged villagers to smelt their own iron. Just as the Chinese peasants ended up melting useful tools and utensils to meet political quotas, so does Iran's industry decommission perfectly functional equipment to serve as a source of spare parts. Behold the awe and splendor of a centrally planned society! |