“Walk softly and carry a big stick” - The foreign policy of Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt established the imperialist ideology of America throughout his time in office, interfering in international affairs both from afar and incredibly close. Years later, Kermit Roosevelt, his grandson, would continue his legacy of foreign policy as a high-ranking officer of the CIA.
In 2013, 60 years after its taking place, the CIA revealed their involvement in the coup of Mohammed Mossadegh, Prime minister of Iran. Mossadegh was highly popular in Iran largely due to his nationalization of Iran’s oil in an attempt to reclaim their negotiating power with the British. However, the West’s discomfort with Socialism and a growing power in the Middle East led the U.S. to get involve and put the last Shah of Iran in power to replace Mossadegh, and thus their new power. Roosevelt, as head of the operation, sowed discourse throughout the country by bribing newspapers in Iran to run false stories about Mossadegh. Eventually, the apatite for these types of stories grew so large in Iran that the CIA began writing their own stories to run in Iranian newspapers. Not only did this create more confusion in Iran, but in the CIA as well as analysis departments began reading CIA written stories, believing they were Iranian, as signs that the Iranians were supporting the U.S. in their opposition to Mossadegh. All of this action eventually led to an attempted coup of Mossadegh by assassination which ultimately failed. This left Roosevelt to continue on with his plan B: mass chaos.
On August 19, 1953, gangs of Iranians filled the streets, beating up civilians and shouting, “We love Mossadegh”. These gangs were met with anti-protest group who engaged them, resulting in a bloody and tragic ending. What these groups didn’t know: They were both being paid to be there and act in that way by Kermit Roosevelt and the CIA. Eventually both groups, along with police and military officers, some of whom were in tanks, to the house of Mossadegh where they opened fire with a barrage of insults, rocks, and ammunition. Mossadegh miraculously survived the night but lost control of his country -- The U.S. had overthrown the Iranian Democracy in 4 days. These events would ultimately plant the seeds of chaos, establishing the Shah as the leader of Iran, and setting up the events that would become the Iranian revolution.
This story is not only a heartbreaking story for the Iranian people and one of shame for the American government, but an example of Orientalism in action. The chaotic nature perceived by the American and Iranian people, the whole Western world, and the CIA was directly caused by a calculated creation of what life was like in Iran by the West. Roosevelt, though never leaving the States, was able to change the entire perception and outcome of a nation. These perceptions still live on today with media coverage cynical of the possibility of Democracy in the Middle East, or believing the situations and politics there to be too chaotic. However, this chaos may have its roots more in the West than than the Middle East. Theodore Roosevelt walked softly and carried his big stick, Kermit softly snuck into a country, swung, and toppled a Democracy into chaos.
Interesting to see the effects of a premeditated form of Orientalism on a budding democracy. I wonder how much influence K. Roosevelt had in the country after sowing the seeds of anarchy, or if he was even aware of the grievous injuries he inflicted on a country that was obviously headed in a peaceful and constructive direction. Ultimately, I think socialism is one of the scary, misunderstood, non-Western aspects that have added to the baseless depiction of the outside world, and we still have trouble using the S-word in a positive light. Such a pertinent historical example, Will. Thanks for sharing!
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