The British are the primary villains for most of "Shah's Men," but the U.S. arrives in the nick of time to make sure you haven't forgotten it. After a few introductory chapters--the first of which I think should have been saved for later, though it serves its purpose--Kinzer tells the story of the epic struggle for freedom between the oppressive, and British controlled, Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and the Iranian government. It is a story that touches on many themes--the provision of justice, tyranny versus democracy, the death of colonization--but at its crux is the struggle of one man, Prime Minister Mosaddegh of Iran, against the forces of oppression and corruption.
Mosaddegh is surely one of the most fascinating political figures of the 20th century. He was extremely emotional, often fainting and crying during his speeches, but also highly intellectual, trained in Europe and apt to give his emotional speeches in eloquent French. His political career began at a young age and in every post he took he demonstrated his unrelenting passion for democracy, freedom, and justice. These traits naturally made him an enemy of Shah Pahlavi who ruled Iran as a monarch for much of Mosaddegh's later life and, more importantly, they angered the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC) which was intent on robbing Iran blind and turning the requisite number of Iranians into its slaves.
"What? Oh, nothing. Just thinking about that time you fled the country after I nationalized the oil company."
The AIOC in Iran was one of the last vestiges of British colonialism. The company not only insisted on paying Iran a slim percentage of its profits--especially in comparison to the deals other petroleum companies had with the nations they dealt with--lying about its revenues in order to avoid payments and then denying it; shutting Iranians out of its books, administration, and general business dealings; and forcing its menials to live in subhuman conditions while violating promises to improve their quality of life, but its representatives also responded with petulance and ridicule when anyone suggested it rethink its business practices. Indeed, the stubborn insistence of both British and AIOC representatives that AIOC was not only justified in its actions but was doing Iran a favor by "sucking it dry" make for some of the funniest parts of "Shah's Men." And by "funniest" I mean "most horribly depressing."
"Heh, heh. So, you get it now? OK, I'll explain one more time why you are a complete idiot."
When Mosaddegh nationalized the AIOC in 1951 he achieved a major victory for democracy in the Middle East. Needless to say, the British were quite upset, and after the election of Eisenhower in 1953, they finally got the Americans to see things their way. Only a few months after Ike took office, Mosaddegh was deposed in a CIA-led coup which serves as an excellent symbol of American disrespect for Iranian and Middle Eastern self-determination, made all the worse due to the fact that Mosaddegh was democratically elected. Of course, the U.S.'s actions may not have been so motivated by evil as by equally profound levels of ignorance and arrogance--I'm looking at you Dulles brothers--but that's not really the kind of thing you consider when asked what you think about U.S. foreign policy since 1950.
Kinzer is certainly a fan of Mosaddegh. The postscript examines his life after the Doctor's three year imprisonment by the Shah and subsequent lifelong house arrest. In this period of his life, Mosaddegh worked tirelessly to improve conditions in his town in terms of medicine, agriculture, and safety. One anecdote recounts the elderly Dr. Mosaddegh pinning a corrupt policeman against the wall with a cane and telling him never to harass the people in his town again. Though he may have been naïve, lacking in some administrative abilities, and perhaps overly emotional, Mosaddegh's moral courage is inspiring. Kinzer made a wise choice in making him the focus of "Shah's Men."
As for whether the U.S. is a great country or not, they say the best way to judge a man is to observe how he treats those weaker than himself. Of course, everybody makes mistakes and in the U.S.'s case, mistakes have been a way of life as far as foreign policy goes from 1950 to the present. But I am willing to forgive and look to the future for my answer. So, here's hoping that U.S. officials currently deciding Iranian policy keep President Bush's famous quotation in mind: "Fool me once, shame on, shame on you...Fool me twice, won't get fooled again."
-Heathcliff
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