The Oil Drum

As an American citizen, whose mother worked for the CIA and whose father worked for the NSA, I find it fairly amusing to be told that the overthrow of a democratically elected leader in favor of a monarch to rule an oil rich country is a figment of some anti-American web site, or that such historical information has nothing to do with peak oil today. If you actually know any Iranians (I have known Persians, Assyrians, and Armenians from Iran, and Americans who worked in Iran training military units and worked in the oil fields - the country is quite interesting, actually, and what Iranians can do with rice is fantastic), ask them about such unimportant and utterly irrelevant historical trivia in terms of how they view current events, especially in light of the fact that Iran seems quite honest in accepting the fact that the oil will run out, regardless of what anyone else may think about it.

As it seems unlikely you read any of the links provided to such anti-American web sites as Wikipedia or CNN, here is an excerpt from a debate held about 2500 years ago, written by an Athenian -

Melians-
It may be your interest to be our masters, but how can it be ours to be your slaves?

Athenians-
To you the gain will be that by submission you will avert the worst; and we shall be all the richer for your preservation.

Melians-
But must we be your enemies? Will you not receive us as friends if we are neutral and remain at peace with you?

Athenians-
No, your enmity is not half so mischievous to us as your friendship; for the one is in the eyes of our subjects an argument of our power, the other of our weakness.

Melians-
But are your subjects really unable to distinguish between states in which you have no concern, and those which are chiefly your own colonies, and in some cases have revolted and been subdued by you?

Athenians-
Why, they do not doubt that both of them have a good deal to say for themselves on the score of justice, but they think that states like yours are left free because they are able to defend themselves, and that we do not attack them because we dare not. So that your subjection will give us an increase of security, as well as an extension of empire. For we are masters of the sea, and you who are islanders, and insignificant islanders, at that, must not be allowed to escape us.

Melians-
But do you not recognize another danger? For, once more, since you drive us from the plea of justice and press upon us your doctrine of expediency, we must show you what is for our interest, and, if it be for yours also, may hope to convince you:, Will you not be making enemies of all who are now neutrals? When they see how you are treating us they will expect you some day to turn against them; and if so, are you not strengthening the enemies whom you already have, and bringing upon you others who, if they could help, would never dream of being your enemies at all?

Athenians-
We do not consider our really dangerous enemies to be any of the peoples inhabiting the mainland who, secure in their freedom, may defer indefinitely any measures of precaution which they take against us, but islanders who, like you, happen to be under no control, and who may be already irritated by the necessity of submission to our empire, these are our real enemies, for they are the most reckless and most likely to bring themselves as well as us into a danger which they cannot but foresee.

Melians-
Surely then, if you and your subjects will brave all this risk, you to preserve your empire and they to be quit of it, how base and cowardly would it be in us, who retain our freedom, not to do and suffer anything rather than be your slaves.

http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/GREECE/MELIAN.HTM

For anyone interested in how the story turns out - the Melians decide to fight to preserve their freedom, which leads to 'The Athenians starv(ing) out the Melians, who finally capitulate. In punishment for not surrendering in the first place, the Athenian generals put to death every male citizen of Melos and cart off the women and children into slavery.' Thucydides can be hard to read, since what he unsparingly describes is a generation of death and destruction, leading to the end of Athens as a democracy and as a free state, for no good reason but its own folly.