Damn... looks like I need to get a history book and start reading. Juan Cole is educating me about when Iran tried to be a Democracy. Iranian people were leading a revolution in the 50s to create a truly Democratic government (which also wanted to take control of their own oilfields which were under the control of the British at the time), but the CIA and MI6 stepped in and squashed the rebellion. So, we stopped the spread of Democracy in Iran, only to be faced with a fascist theocracy now.



Cole is also one of the contributors to The Joint Experts' Statement on Iran which lays out a policy for successful interactions with Iran. It includes some very smart suggestions as well as a list of misconceptions about Iran and the area. It's a good read and I recommend it.