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	<title>FrontPage Magazine &#187; Abolhassan Bani-Sadr</title>
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		<title>What I Learned From Iran&#8217;s Failed Revolution</title>
		<link>http://www.frontpagemag.com/2011/abolhassan-bani-sadr/what-i-learned-from-irans-failed-revolution/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=what-i-learned-from-irans-failed-revolution</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Jan 2011 04:41:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abolhassan Bani-Sadr]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[FrontPage]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[An open future includes not only the possibility of democracy, but the possibility of resurgent dictatorship. ]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/iranian-hostages.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-83235" title="iranian-hostages" src="http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/iranian-hostages.jpeg" alt="" width="330" height="248" /></a></p>
<p><strong>Visit <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/pages/world/index.html">Nytimes.com.</a></strong></p>
<p>PARIS — By removing a despot who was the main obstacle to democracy, the  Tunisian revolt has immense importance for the Arab and Islamic world.  Above all, it has opened up a future that, due to the iron grip of an  authoritarian political system backed by European and Arab governments,  had been considered closed.</p>
<p>As we see  from the burgeoning demonstrations in Egypt, it is not lost  on others in the region that ousting corrupt autocrats is no longer just  an impossible dream. Tunisia’s message to others in the region is that  despotism is not a lot in life to which they must submit. That message  is spreading fast because the Tunisian democratic movement is  legitimately homegrown and not tied to a Western sponsor, as was the  case with the U.S. invasion of Iraq.</p>
<p>As I well know from personal experience, however, an open future  includes not only the possibility of democracy, but the possibility of  resurgent dictatorship.</p>
<p>In order to achieve democracy and diminish the prospect of a new  strongman taking over, certain conditions have to be fulfilled.</p>
<p>First, the movement has to distance itself from the old regime and its  elites. Revolutions only happen when the system is thoroughly dismantled  and rebuilt. For now, the political and neoliberal economic structures  that supported Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali’s dictatorship, although shaken  and fragile, are to a large extent still intact. The same elites are  still in charge.</p>
<p>From this perspective, it was a mistake for the movement to enter into  negotiations to form a coalition government with the old elites. They  can be trusted only when they voluntarily resign and allow themselves to  be replaced by others elected by the people.</p>
<p>Second, the entire structure of the despotic regime — the executive,  judiciary and legislative branches — should be revolutionized. It would  be a mistake to limit the objectives of the movement to simply changing  personalities.</p>
<p>The lack of experience on the part of ordinary people should not lead  the movement to import elites from the former regime into the new  government. My experience of the 1979 Iranian revolution taught me that  in any department and ministry there are enough patriotic experts who  are not tarnished by their association with the former regime and who  are willing to play a constructive role in rebuilding the country. The  fact that the existing elites have the lion’s share of the seats in  government indicates that there is a serious shortcoming here. This gap  has to be filled as soon as possible; otherwise, the elites of the  ancien régime will reconstitute their power.</p>
<p><strong>To continue reading this article,<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/29/opinion/29iht-edbanisadr29.html"> click here</a>.</strong></p>
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