[International Herald Tribune] Hossein Askari - Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979, average real per capita income has declined and income distribution has deteriorated. There is a new super class of rich mullahs and cronies who have amassed fortunes through corruption and government policies. The regime has not created wealth, but has distributed oil revenues to make the chosen very rich while keeping a lid on domestic dissension. Things did improve slightly over the last four years because of record high oil prices, but the regime squandered that windfall and is now faced with the prospect of lower oil revenues, lower financial reserves, potentially smarter sanctions imposed by a more thoughtful new U.S. administration, and rising domestic dissatisfaction. The mullahs in Tehran care little for ideology. They have no commitment to spreading the revolution. Theirs is no religious mission. They barely think about justice for the Palestinians. Their goal is not nuclear enrichment or nuclear weapons. It is survival, pure and simple. The writer is professor of business and international affairs at George Washington University.
2008-11-24 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive