How did Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iran (pre 1980’s) and a longer list afterwards do? I would like to have democracy in these countries and more, but it’s not happening no matter what we do.
Second, the US is in its own democracy crisis. We have an administration that has gone against the Constitution and continues to do so at will.
Doing both is not an option at this time. It will take a large human toll and cost to the treasury.
It’s always easy to start a war, it’s the cost afterwards of rebuilding. Right now, the government is at war both foreign and domestically.
The cognitive dissonance I felt when DT told the people of Iran who were rebelling against the repressive regime there to essentially “hang on”
because help was on the way, was significant. When I didn’t hear any
further statements from DT about
helping the democratic rebellion in Iran, I assumed someone in Trump’s
regime reminded him of his mission to stamp out democracy and replace it with an autocratic theocracy, much like Iran’s.
Please don’t misunderstand me Ambassador McFaul—I appreciate your meticulous “prescription” for the advancement of democracy in Iran,
but it does add to my longstanding cognitive dissonance about where the U.S. is headed in the grand scheme of world affairs. Personally, I view the current years-long attempt to replace our democracy with a repressive theocratic system of governance as a
temporary, but painful prelude to a
revitalization of our democratic ideals.
I admit I occasionally backslide from
that viewpoint from time to time, but
I think your prescription for Iran is also illustrative of exactly why a repressive theocracy will not be our fate. The
people of America have only known freedom since its inception. Over time we’ve always become more tolerant of cultural choice in important matters like religion, marriage, education and
scientific advancement.
We’ve always more or less welcomed those from other cultures who’ve been willing to adapt their culture to ours. Yes, there have been hiccups in our tolerance of others who are “different,” but we’ve always, over time, accepted and even celebrated differences. That is our heritage. Mean-spirited, repressive intolerance and strict adherence to a religious belief system without exception will never gain traction in the U.S. because we have never accepted it as a country.
The beauty of America has always been in its freedom of choice. If you
want to live with strict religious beliefs
you can do so, but you can’t force
others to live that way. We’ve always been a society of laws that apply equally to everyone. Autocracy/theocracy does not allow for laws that
apply equally to everyone. Autocratic regimes make exceptions for those who are perpetuating the regime.
In other words, the ruler or autocrat unfairly decides what the laws are for everyone else, and they are subject to change on the autocrat’s whims. Thus
it’s inherently unfair and dictatorial.
Americans will never agree to live that way once they understand what it is. I
firmly believe the only reason Trump’s repressive regime has come this far is because most of its adherents have no understanding of what it’s about.
What it’s about is having a repressive regime of sycophants who do what they want, whether it’s rigging the economy in their favor or raping little
girls, there are no restraints on them.
The restraints are on everyone else.
That will never work in America. The
very same people who claim to want it
will never agree to live that way once they understand it. The only question is how far in that direction we will go before they realize it. The people in power know their army of thugs called “ICE” won’t perform if they can be identified and called out for what they are doing by their neighbors, relatives
and friends. That’s all we need to know about where this is headed.
Thanks for the summary of what could be done. But it makes me wonder (1) why London and the UK have allowed Khamenei's son to set up shop there and (2) how anyone could seize those assets? Is that even legal? Why is the US not hammering the UK about allowing the many corrupt oligarchs from all over the world live, work, and bank freely there. BTW, here's a free link to the paywalled Bloomberg article: https://archive.ph/ELnjx
Hard to argue with the premise - "A Democratic Iran that does not kill their citizens is in the US national interest". Also pretty naive to think that is at all likely in our lifetimes. I generally try to think WWHKD (what would Henry Kissinger Do). It does feel like Trump's team is more aligned with this pragmatic and practical course. I argue HK would advocate for Containment (check), Preventing Nuclear capability (check), Isolation (check). Choose Stability over Democracy and change Iranian behavior. Supporting democratic reformers should be at most a secondary tactic.
Trump is doing nothing to support democracy in Venezuela, where Maduro's political prisoners are still in prison. Why should anyone expect him to support it in Iran? What puzzles me is why Iranians took him seriously when he said help was on the way.
Trump is a liar and profoundly immoral and corrupt. His only interest is enriching himself, his cronies and thereby maintaining power-the ultimate aphrodisiac according to Henry Kissinger
It was interesting to read Prof. McFaul's essay on the evening of February 28 with Khamanei and perhaps as many as 40 of the regimes top leaders dead. I cannot say whether this constitutes support for democracy or not. We all are waiting to see what the end-game looks like.
"the best way to end the Iranian threat to the region and the world permanently is to support peaceful democratic regime change inside Iran."
--this is retardo land. when any opposition is murdered it can never happen. this is the same idiotic liberal nonsense that allowed hitler to take over europe
"Is Trump Serious About Supporting Democracy in Iran?"
He is against democracy here. You have no clue who he is even though you were ambassador to Russia? The only things that he cares about are cash and power. Once you understand that and his ties to Putin everything falls into place.
Thanks for this excellent analysis! It’s too bad you couldn’t have a one on one with Little Marco Rubio. Of course he would say democratic transition in Iran isn’t possible. The word that stood out for me was “immoral. An immoral Iranian regime plus a profoundly immoral Trump wouldn’t seem to lead anywhere good. But it’s worth trying. Who in this administration has a burning desire for democracy?
He does not give a fk about democracy. If this happens to have any benefit to the people of Iran, then it is not the point of this. It is just a bug, not a feature.
I'm sorry to say but I think Mr. McFaul's recipe for Iran's transition to some level of democracy is stale and naive. President Trump has behaved with the utmost patience and prudence in dealing with the murderous Islamist theocrats. Khamenei is the reincarnation of Hitler; his IRGC, the NAZIS' SS (Schutzstaffel). No one can deal diplomatically with these fascist fanatics. There comes a time when force must be exercised and is justified. Another observation, Mr. McFaul. Have you seen the celebrations of the Iranian people at home and abroad? They are cheering for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi currently based in D.C. to come home and lead a new democratic government. The crown prince is not the Shah. You appear to sniff and dismiss his significant role in history that could very well lead Iran out of her very dark long night, almost 50 years, with the rise of Islamic fanaticism. Be respectful, sir, of the aspirations of the long suffering Iranian people.
Yes, you were wrong. Negotiating democracy with a brutal regime that murders its own citizens, sponsors terrorism and pursues nuclear weapons is not dealing with reality. Democracy is up to the people of Iran…
The document, entitled "WHICH PATH TO PERSIA: OPTIONS FOR A NEW AMERICAN STRATEGY TOWARD IRAN ,The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution, remains the playbook to achieve instability in Iran, such as we are witnessing currently in Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Somalia.
Investigative reporter, Claudio Resta, lays bare details of the document that cannot be construed to support the goal of "democracy":
I. The authors come from the highest levels of the US foreign policy and intelligence establishment, and the document’s context is that of a think tank that operates avowedly within a pro-Israel security framework.
In those pages, Iran is not considered a sovereign state with its own internal dynamics, but rather a strategic problem to be managed, contained, and, ultimately, reshaped.
II. The document lists a series of “options” for addressing the Iranian question: from controlled dialogue to sanctions, from covert operations to information warfare, from support for opposition groups to internal destabilization, and even military confrontation or regime change.
III. Reread today, that text uncannily resembles an operational map: first economic suffocation, then the emergence of social unrest; the spread of opposing narratives through the media; confusion over the opposition’s leadership; external actors claiming to act “in the name of the Iranian people” while progressively intensifying pressure.
It would be helpful if documents were to surface that acted as a viable playbook for establishing a democracy in Iran.
We might have to fix “our house” first.
We can do both.
How did Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Iran (pre 1980’s) and a longer list afterwards do? I would like to have democracy in these countries and more, but it’s not happening no matter what we do.
Second, the US is in its own democracy crisis. We have an administration that has gone against the Constitution and continues to do so at will.
Doing both is not an option at this time. It will take a large human toll and cost to the treasury.
It’s always easy to start a war, it’s the cost afterwards of rebuilding. Right now, the government is at war both foreign and domestically.
The cognitive dissonance I felt when DT told the people of Iran who were rebelling against the repressive regime there to essentially “hang on”
because help was on the way, was significant. When I didn’t hear any
further statements from DT about
helping the democratic rebellion in Iran, I assumed someone in Trump’s
regime reminded him of his mission to stamp out democracy and replace it with an autocratic theocracy, much like Iran’s.
Please don’t misunderstand me Ambassador McFaul—I appreciate your meticulous “prescription” for the advancement of democracy in Iran,
but it does add to my longstanding cognitive dissonance about where the U.S. is headed in the grand scheme of world affairs. Personally, I view the current years-long attempt to replace our democracy with a repressive theocratic system of governance as a
temporary, but painful prelude to a
revitalization of our democratic ideals.
I admit I occasionally backslide from
that viewpoint from time to time, but
I think your prescription for Iran is also illustrative of exactly why a repressive theocracy will not be our fate. The
people of America have only known freedom since its inception. Over time we’ve always become more tolerant of cultural choice in important matters like religion, marriage, education and
scientific advancement.
We’ve always more or less welcomed those from other cultures who’ve been willing to adapt their culture to ours. Yes, there have been hiccups in our tolerance of others who are “different,” but we’ve always, over time, accepted and even celebrated differences. That is our heritage. Mean-spirited, repressive intolerance and strict adherence to a religious belief system without exception will never gain traction in the U.S. because we have never accepted it as a country.
The beauty of America has always been in its freedom of choice. If you
want to live with strict religious beliefs
you can do so, but you can’t force
others to live that way. We’ve always been a society of laws that apply equally to everyone. Autocracy/theocracy does not allow for laws that
apply equally to everyone. Autocratic regimes make exceptions for those who are perpetuating the regime.
In other words, the ruler or autocrat unfairly decides what the laws are for everyone else, and they are subject to change on the autocrat’s whims. Thus
it’s inherently unfair and dictatorial.
Americans will never agree to live that way once they understand what it is. I
firmly believe the only reason Trump’s repressive regime has come this far is because most of its adherents have no understanding of what it’s about.
What it’s about is having a repressive regime of sycophants who do what they want, whether it’s rigging the economy in their favor or raping little
girls, there are no restraints on them.
The restraints are on everyone else.
That will never work in America. The
very same people who claim to want it
will never agree to live that way once they understand it. The only question is how far in that direction we will go before they realize it. The people in power know their army of thugs called “ICE” won’t perform if they can be identified and called out for what they are doing by their neighbors, relatives
and friends. That’s all we need to know about where this is headed.
Thanks for the summary of what could be done. But it makes me wonder (1) why London and the UK have allowed Khamenei's son to set up shop there and (2) how anyone could seize those assets? Is that even legal? Why is the US not hammering the UK about allowing the many corrupt oligarchs from all over the world live, work, and bank freely there. BTW, here's a free link to the paywalled Bloomberg article: https://archive.ph/ELnjx
The UK has a lot to answer for because, as you say, they have become a safe haven for dark money from around the world.
Hard to argue with the premise - "A Democratic Iran that does not kill their citizens is in the US national interest". Also pretty naive to think that is at all likely in our lifetimes. I generally try to think WWHKD (what would Henry Kissinger Do). It does feel like Trump's team is more aligned with this pragmatic and practical course. I argue HK would advocate for Containment (check), Preventing Nuclear capability (check), Isolation (check). Choose Stability over Democracy and change Iranian behavior. Supporting democratic reformers should be at most a secondary tactic.
Trump is doing nothing to support democracy in Venezuela, where Maduro's political prisoners are still in prison. Why should anyone expect him to support it in Iran? What puzzles me is why Iranians took him seriously when he said help was on the way.
oh look. President Trump did what he said. Again,
Trump is a liar and profoundly immoral and corrupt. His only interest is enriching himself, his cronies and thereby maintaining power-the ultimate aphrodisiac according to Henry Kissinger
It was interesting to read Prof. McFaul's essay on the evening of February 28 with Khamanei and perhaps as many as 40 of the regimes top leaders dead. I cannot say whether this constitutes support for democracy or not. We all are waiting to see what the end-game looks like.
"the best way to end the Iranian threat to the region and the world permanently is to support peaceful democratic regime change inside Iran."
--this is retardo land. when any opposition is murdered it can never happen. this is the same idiotic liberal nonsense that allowed hitler to take over europe
"Is Trump Serious About Supporting Democracy in Iran?"
He is against democracy here. You have no clue who he is even though you were ambassador to Russia? The only things that he cares about are cash and power. Once you understand that and his ties to Putin everything falls into place.
Thanks for this excellent analysis! It’s too bad you couldn’t have a one on one with Little Marco Rubio. Of course he would say democratic transition in Iran isn’t possible. The word that stood out for me was “immoral. An immoral Iranian regime plus a profoundly immoral Trump wouldn’t seem to lead anywhere good. But it’s worth trying. Who in this administration has a burning desire for democracy?
Impossible. Look at the US situation first.😄
He does not give a fk about democracy. If this happens to have any benefit to the people of Iran, then it is not the point of this. It is just a bug, not a feature.
I'm sorry to say but I think Mr. McFaul's recipe for Iran's transition to some level of democracy is stale and naive. President Trump has behaved with the utmost patience and prudence in dealing with the murderous Islamist theocrats. Khamenei is the reincarnation of Hitler; his IRGC, the NAZIS' SS (Schutzstaffel). No one can deal diplomatically with these fascist fanatics. There comes a time when force must be exercised and is justified. Another observation, Mr. McFaul. Have you seen the celebrations of the Iranian people at home and abroad? They are cheering for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi currently based in D.C. to come home and lead a new democratic government. The crown prince is not the Shah. You appear to sniff and dismiss his significant role in history that could very well lead Iran out of her very dark long night, almost 50 years, with the rise of Islamic fanaticism. Be respectful, sir, of the aspirations of the long suffering Iranian people.
HERE WE GO AGAIN!
And it's the same 'Lying Toad' (Iraq) performance - only:
THIS TIME THE FANTASY MISSILES ARE NOT THREATENING EUROPE
- IT'S THE POOR LITTLE UNITED STATES THEY WILL REACH!
O my - the only "foreign bombs" that did came from JFK airport on Long Island
THE IRANIAN MISSILES HOWEVER CAN HIT ...ISRAEL - BUT OTHERWISE?
AND ISRAEL IS THE MAIN WARMONGER-CONQUERER IN MIDDLE EAST!
Thus, one may wonder if all this is not ANOTHER PROXY - this time, THE USA!
"A PROXY FOR BIBI"
might be a nice refrain for a pop-hit and the resistance chorus
RESISTANCE AGAINST THE "BIBINAZI FOURTH REICH" FROM NILE TO CASPIAN
And don't forget the oil in US fists: Iraq, Lybia, Syria, MidEast, Venezuela, and now IRAN!
That does not leave out a lot: US troops are already in Nigeria. Next Indonesia and Brunei!
AND - HOW COULD I FORGET: RUSSIA-SIBERIA!
But that for the entire world? - And we already blocked Europe off from that (cheaper) oil/gas.
NO - WHAT WE GET NOW WILL BE ENOUGH TO BLACKMAIL EVERYONE -EVEN CHINA!
SO, PLAYING THE "PROXY" PAYS A LOT - SOMETIMES
if everybody is afraid of us!
BUT ARE THEY?
Yes, you were wrong. Negotiating democracy with a brutal regime that murders its own citizens, sponsors terrorism and pursues nuclear weapons is not dealing with reality. Democracy is up to the people of Iran…
The Felon doesn’t even want US to be democratic 🤦
According to a document made public January 14 , 2026 on VETERANS TODAY (https://vtforeignpolicy.com/2026/01/euromaidan-style-zio-us-long-planned-coup-in-tehran/) democracy was not on the menu in 2009 and is not in 2026.0
The document, entitled "WHICH PATH TO PERSIA: OPTIONS FOR A NEW AMERICAN STRATEGY TOWARD IRAN ,The Saban Center for Middle East Policy at The Brookings Institution, remains the playbook to achieve instability in Iran, such as we are witnessing currently in Syria, Libya, Iraq, and Somalia.
Investigative reporter, Claudio Resta, lays bare details of the document that cannot be construed to support the goal of "democracy":
I. The authors come from the highest levels of the US foreign policy and intelligence establishment, and the document’s context is that of a think tank that operates avowedly within a pro-Israel security framework.
In those pages, Iran is not considered a sovereign state with its own internal dynamics, but rather a strategic problem to be managed, contained, and, ultimately, reshaped.
II. The document lists a series of “options” for addressing the Iranian question: from controlled dialogue to sanctions, from covert operations to information warfare, from support for opposition groups to internal destabilization, and even military confrontation or regime change.
III. Reread today, that text uncannily resembles an operational map: first economic suffocation, then the emergence of social unrest; the spread of opposing narratives through the media; confusion over the opposition’s leadership; external actors claiming to act “in the name of the Iranian people” while progressively intensifying pressure.
It would be helpful if documents were to surface that acted as a viable playbook for establishing a democracy in Iran.