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jon_stout t1_j1mb0gd wrote

Reply to comment by Hattix in What did the public actually want in the Iranian revolution of 1979? by ReecoElryk

> Nobody ever "wants" democracy when in an autocratic state. What they want is what democracy promises, a change of leadership.

... may I ask what the distinction between the two is, in your mind?

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Guachito t1_j1mds6f wrote

They weren’t fighting for democracy or any specific ideology, they just wanted a change of government because the Shah was did not have their best interest in mind and wasn’t doing a great job.

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doktorhladnjak t1_j1n5oim wrote

I wouldn’t describe it that way. There were many factions fighting for democracy or ideologies. They only agreed with each other on getting rid of the Shah. So they were united in overthrowing the current regime.

Once that happened, there was another power struggle for who would control the new government. The religious hardliners won that struggle by consolidating power and eliminating opposition from the secular moderates.

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vandunks t1_j1mdzz2 wrote

Not the other commenter but basically they want the previous ruler gone and replaced with someone else. Sometimes it turns out that the someone else is pretty shit. You don't want them, but you don't want the previous guy either. So you're stuck with someone you don't want, but you don't have the energy, willpower or economic stability to get rid of them too, at least for another couple of decades or until some nice foreign agency wants to install someone new, who you also probably won't like.

In democracy, this happens every four to six years with the revolution condensed into a couple of years of adverts, rallies, and the media telling you who you should or shouldn't like. Then you make your choice with the end goal that hopefully you got the least worst choice, and hopefully that guy you did have who you didn't like is gone. Or if the guy you didn't want gets in, you can complain for four years until you can try again. Meanwhile, you don't have any real power and which guy you choose is meaningless as they're all the same anyway.

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Hattix t1_j1md1az wrote

Iran got a change of leadership, it did not get democracy.

In my mind.

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