Housing, bread and jobs: the Economics of the protests in Iran

Teheran is Iran's sprawling capital and is the second largest city in Western Asia. It is located near the Caspian sea in the Alborz Mountains.


The New Year has started with a deep freeze in the United States as Mother Nature continues her attacks against the loosing country in the climatic war. Meanwhile anger among governments and worry among people continue to rise. For the ordinary people, this year 2018 will be interesting one indeed. Iran has been witnessing week long protests by ordinary Iranians. It's not just students who are protesting. It is not only the protesters who are under the age of 30 and make up half of the Iranian population. It is also the older people, both the rich and poor. Contrary to the pundits and analysts who insist that the ongoing protests are anti-government and are about freedom and democracy, the protests center around economics and corruption. Economics is the basis of most protests.




 The 2011 Arab Revolutions or North African revolutions, etc that started in Tunisia and spread like wildfire across North Africa and the wider Middle East began over the rising prices of commodities ie food, water and their respective scarcities (due to conflicts and water depletion) as well as lack of jobs for educated populace. The complaints against the government's corruption have always been part of the protesting crowds' chants. But the need, actually the necessity of food be it bread (remember the Egyptians in 2011 shouting "Aish, hurriya, adala igtimaiyya, karama insaniyya."), fighting against unemployment and soaring housing prices along with medicines, will drive people into the streets no matter how apathetic or non political people are. Decades of economic sanctions, has not helped Iranians to ease the economic squeeze or austerity measures. Iran was also part of the Muslim travel ban 1.0 and still reminds part of the third revised travel ban that was approved by the U.S. supreme court last September. This is not the first time Iran has seen nation wide protests. There was the 2009 Iranian Elections protests dubbed the Green Movement that the U.S. and its allies including Saudi Arabia were so sure would transform Iran from an Islamic Republic back to a secular democracy or pro Western, docile neo liberal hub for the oil multinational giants and the influence of the world's large powers and self interests of regional powers. It usually goes back to the oil in the soil, the physical and indirect control of shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz and the need for an inexpensive and accessible pipeline that cuts out the middleman at all costs. The "Green revolution" came about at the same time as all the other color revolutions that were supported by the U.S. and intelligence. Just as Trump is quick to salute and encourage the protesters to continue their fight, Washington was eager to see the previous revolutionaries overthrow the ruling government. Than there was 1999 protests that did lead some reform of the government and a heavy military crackdown.


Target on Iran's back

Also keep in mind that the CIA launched and carried out a successful coup against Mohammed Mossedagh in 1953 using anti-government rebels and agents. Mossedagh was democratically elected and popular among Iranians. He committed in the eyes of the West the sin of nationalizing Iran's most prized possession, oil and demanded that the British and American companies operate the oil fields in a manner that benefited Iran. To add salt to the wound, for the next twenty years Washington and its allies supported the Shah of Iran Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. Pahlavi was praised for modernizing Iran during his reign at the time the country was secular, a model of stability and a role model for other countries in the region. Nevertheless, the U.S., UK, France propped up Iran with military aid, weapons for the feared and notorious secret police Savak that jailed dissidents and critics alike and legitimized the ruling Pahlavi family even as anger grew at home. It's also curious that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomenini was exiled in France and after the 1979 Islamic Revolution became persona non grata in France and across the Western countries and neighboring countries including Saudi and Iraq. Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei complaints that the current protesters are being driven by Iran's enemies is a legit fear even as the pundits laugh. Retired Gen Wesley Clark pointed out years ago that the U.S. had planned to take out 7 Middle Eastern and North African countries beginning with Iraq, Syria and ending with Iran. This is not a joke either. It's a continuation of the full spectrum dominance and "the devil you know" foreign policy of NATO led by the U.S., Israel and Saudi axis going back to the early days of US involvement in the Middle East beginning pre World War II.



The boogeyman ayatollah isn't the strong man 

For decades, Iran has been demonized as the country with the caricature ayatollah who will destroy the world for religion and therefore the rest of the world should see Iran as a threat in the same way the U.S. does. It is worth noting that Iran has friends around the world from Venezuela, China, Russia and Syria which it continues to help in its fight against ISIS. Ironically, Iran's hatred for ISIS and Al Qaeda and its fight against terrorism never gets mentioned in mainstream media. The boogeyman ayatollahs may have the final word on all matters of the state but Iran is one of the few countries in the Middle East that has an elected parliament and a president who also rules on everyday affairs. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran is far more liberal and lenient concerning how far people can push the government to the breaking point. 

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