Is iran one of the most western states in the ME in terms of mentality?

It's certainly a more fun to place to be than Saud Arabia.

 

Iranians are an old nation with rich culture and huge contribution in sciences and arts . Saudis were desert nomads a couple of centuries (or less) ago.
Unfortunately the best Iranians perished during the Mongol invasions, those left are the decedents of goat herders and rednecks .
I have not met enough Iranians to have an opinion but i consider it very hard for anyone to be more "western" than the Israelis .

 

probably Israel

 

That's just silly.. The Mongols invaded Persia around the 12th century. You haven't met any Iranians and you haven't been to Iran.. but you claim the Israelis are more "Western"??

 

I have met as many Iranians as Israelis , obviously the more "western" countries are closer to the west .
Stop treating west like the pinnacle of civilization .

 

Really? and when were you ever in Saudi Arabia?

 

Sweeping statements are just so ignorant.

 

Aww now i am ignorant.
Please remind me which western nation would agree to live under a theocracy .

 

What does that have to do with Israel?

 

I rest my case

 

Iranians basically absorbed the mongols just like it happened to the mongols in China.

 

Right, so you haven't met enough Iranians to form an opinion, but in your opinion those left are the descendents of goat herders?
During my time living in London in the 1970s and 1980s I had the pleasure of meeting and working with many Iranians who left Iran because of the dreadful Shah regime.
Well-educated, urbane and sophisticated decribes them well. They embraced Western culture with relish, and many of those in Iran still do. Sadly the media is only interested in sensational stories of the 'evil' Mullahs and such.

 

The Iranians you met were not good representatives of their nation , you have to remember that Iran is a theocracy and regimes don't stand without popular support. Westerners are sophisticated? lol good one .

 

The Shah left Iran for exile in 1979. It was only then that the country became a full-blown theocracy. I believe I mentioned that I had met them during the 1970s and 1980s. Those Iranians whom I met were not fundamentalist lunatics but normal, decent and hard-working people who had no desire to live under a dictatorial, oppressive regime. Installed, by the way, courtesy of the CIA.

 

Yes and they left because they couldn't live in the environment their nationals created , this is exactly my point.

 

Sensational lol? The Iranian govt was complicit in killing thousands of my fellow troops and allies in the Afghan and Iraq wars and negative coverage of Iran is sensational? The fact that my fellow Americans just blow off the Iranian efforts to kill us, makes me physically ill.

 

No, the CIA and Britain created that environment in 1953. Prior to that Iran had a fully functioning democracy which the Bastion of Democracy, America, in it's ultimate display of hypocrisy, destroyed in its greed for Iranian oil.
America has only itself to blame for its problems with Islamic fundamentalism which the events of 1953 set in motion.

 

Uh huh. And who started those wars? Let me think...
Look, it's this simple; if you believe that pissing nations off for decades is not going to result in eventual blow-back, then don't get all outraged when it happens. It's simple Newtonian physics if you want to apply an analogy. Every action results in an equal and opposite reaction. You bomb them, they bomb you. Annoying, isn't it?

 

Things weren't good under the Shah either.. except for his immediate circle of elites.

 

The topic of the thread is not about what created Iran of today , most Iranians can never pass as Europeans mentality wise .

 

At this point our conversation ends. I can't communicate with the ignorance your post displays..

 

They are one of the closest in the Middle East.

 

And exactly my point. Iranians were justified in killing UN soldiers and personnel because we should have expected blow-back? What does Iran have to do with our beef with Afghan or Iraq? I can kinda see why Americans and fellow Westerners would forgive Afghanis or Iraqis for trying to kill their sons and daughters, because after all, we are on their land, and the kind of violent opposition to that sort of situation is expected after a cursory view of history. But what I cannot fathom, is fighting to protect a citizenry, that feels other nations like Iran ALSO have a right to kill our sons and daughters, even though we aren't on their land. Their actions were never even really publicly discussed, and if one brings those actions up, they are in general instantly forgiven and justified. I'm baffled. Can you at least give me a list of countries right now, that could kill me, or attempt to, and be immediately forgiven and excused by my fellow citizens? This information would be very valuable.

 

They're very US-like if they're supporting terrorism and trying to control foreign governments even to the point of usurping existing power structures and installing friendly dictators in their stead.

 

Yep, that's an amazing break through for some. ALL COUNTRIES subvert govts, since the beginning of time. The US and Iran do it. But I'm going to side with the US, as its interests seem to be stability in the region. Iran's interests have been repeatedly stated for decades. Their entire foreign policy is directed at the destruction of the state of Israel. Hmm, tough choice.