“The unfavorable theory is that liberals knew next to nothing about the Shah’s actual policies, and opposed him chiefly for the traditional authoritarianism he symbolized rather than what he actually did – or how he compared to plausible alternatives.”
I tend to think this is the main explanation. Most people don’t even bother to delve into policy in their own countries. They just rely on emotional impulse, a few poorly understood stats, some assumptions… all stirred in with a generous helping of confirmation bias.
It isn’t clear that American liberals support civil liberties generally, they tend to support only those civil choices they support. Introduce feminists to stay at home mothers and watch the shaming begin.
“The unfavorable theory is that liberals knew next to nothing about the Shah’s actual policies, and opposed him chiefly for the traditional authoritarianism he symbolized rather than what he actually did – or how he compared to plausible alternatives.”
I tend to think this is the main explanation. Most people don’t even bother to delve into policy in their own countries. They just rely on emotional impulse, a few poorly understood stats, some assumptions… all stirred in with a generous helping of confirmation bias.
https://jmpolemic.substack.com/p/scout-mindset
It isn’t clear that American liberals support civil liberties generally, they tend to support only those civil choices they support. Introduce feminists to stay at home mothers and watch the shaming begin.
They opposed him simply because he was friendly with USA. Simple as.
Totalitarian regimes fall when they loosen the tools of tyranny, not when they arev squeezing their people for fear they will overthrow them.