Am i the only one who feels bitter that the son of a corrupt monarch is somehow seen as a good replacement for the current corrupt regime? Just bc IR is spades worse than the monarchy was, does not mean the monarchy was not corrupt and messed up— their corruption is what fueled the revolution to happen in the first place, and their stealing of wealth from everyday Iranians that led to major inequality issues. I don’t care if Reza is not of the same corrupt mindset as the monarchy or whatever. He and his family have long ignored the wrongs they did and pretend like they were god’s gift to Iran (oh allah hazrat! Oh king and princess and bla bla, iran didn’t deserve your generosity and goodness! Ew GAG. Royalty my ***. Seriously.) They took their blood money and escaped to America to live a lavish life born off the backs of Iran’s most vulnerable, so the selective memory of some people and kissing up to the Pahlavis makes me truly upset.

You know who was a true patriot? Mossadegh. You know who IS a patriot? Ebadi. And every single Iranian who has put their life on the line or lost their lives in these protests in the name of freedom. You know who’s a patriot? The beggar children of Iran, who scrap by and dream of the education they never got. I am a foreign born Iranian of privilege. I did not have to grow up under the oppressions of IR. So who am I to give opinions? Take what I say for its two cents. But my god, the ridiculously rose-tinted glasses on the pahlavis and the privileged among our diaspora who only show they care when the spotlight is on them make me sick. It’s narcissistic.

I love Iran and Iranian culture, so much. Just like the rest of you. I fantasize about a new golden chapter. Can you imagine if Iran becomes a secular republic one day? With a female prime minister or president? And freedom of speech and expression? Where we revel in the beautiful ethnic diversity of Iran? And most importantly, where inequality gaps are closed and opportunity is possible for all?

You can’t fight current corruption with old corruption. That’s it.