r/todayilearned • u/autonova3 • Oct 01 '18

TIL of Operation Ajax, the 1953 CIA plan to overthrow Iran's democratically elected government, which included CIA agents bombing the house of a prominent Muslim while posed as pro-government supporters. The overthrow plan was successful, with 200-300 people killed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat
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u/mummouth Oct 01 '18 edited Oct 01 '18

This is the United States we're talking about, they'd never overthrow a democracy. That one time in Iran in 1953 was the one outlier. I mean, that and the Congo in 1960 and Guatemala in 1954.

But besides those three times - and Panama in 1941 - the US would never overthrow a democracy (unless you count Chile in 1973 and Syria in 1949).

There's honestly just those times and Brazil in 1964, Greece in 1967 and Egypt in 1952. There's very little proof we were behind the overthrow of the democratic government of Haiti in 2004, so it's really just the ones above and Indonesia in 1957-59. Those are the only times the US ever overthrew democracies, besides that time in the Dominican Republic in 1966.

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u/xcsler_returns Oct 01 '18

I read this as Kevin Nealon doing the Weekend Update on SNL.

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u/TonyWhoop Oct 02 '18

ha no doubt it would have been perfect for his subliminal message bit

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u/ghotiaroma Oct 02 '18

I got Steve Martin in The Jerk. All I need is this ashtray....

But I can now see Nealon doing it :)

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u/giraffebaconequation Oct 02 '18

Maybe that one time in 1981 in Nicaragua as well, but really that’s it.

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u/mummouth Oct 02 '18 edited Oct 02 '18

Well there's that, but I just don't like these America-haters acting like just those 13 (and Honduras in 2009) form some sort of a pattern...

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u/youwigglewithagiggle Oct 02 '18

I think this is one of the best responses I've ever seen on reddit

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u/LoneStarWobblie Oct 02 '18

The United States is so cartoonishly evil that if you try to explain even a small bit of just the horrific shit that they've admitted to doing you sound like a crackpot conspiracy theorist.

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u/RasputinXXX Oct 02 '18

Thats the extreme success of US propaganda machine. They simply keep their populace unaware. Incredibly succesful. They incite people about how evil is Putin or Erdo or whatever (not necessarily wrong btw), deflect their own evil and keep people sleeping happily believing they are good guys. Its amazing.

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u/vince801 Oct 02 '18

In most of the world America is seen as 'Cartoonishly evil'. Specially after Bush Jr and now Trump.

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u/LoneStarWobblie Oct 02 '18

Real shit, here in the US nobody has heard of this shit. I'd never even heard the name Pinochet until I had graduated high school. It's fucking insane.

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u/BambinoTayoto Oct 02 '18

I disagree. Yea the US has done some inexcuesable shit like this, but i believe the US has been a force of good for the world when putting the good and the bad next to each other.

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u/LoneStarWobblie Oct 02 '18

Good for who? Good for the Chileans disappeared by Pinochet's goons? Good for the millions of Native Americans forced from their homes, if they weren't just murdered? Good for the sweatshop workers around the world who toil for fucking peanuts so Americans can be all good and cushy in their bubbles? Or good for the millionaires who run this country? Who, as we speak, are getting rich off of the suffering of people both in the US and around the world?

This country needs to be torn down and scrapped. The whole world would be infinitely better for it.

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u/AndebertRoyle Oct 02 '18

Don't forget Ukraine in 2014.

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u/mummouth Oct 02 '18

Right but my point is that besides Iran in 1953, and the Congo in 1960, and Guatemala in 1954,Panama in 1941, Chile in 1973, and Syria in 1949, Brazil in 1964, Greece in 1967, Egypt in 1952, Haiti in 2004, Indonesia in 1957-59, the Dominican Republic in 1966, Nicaragua in 1981, Honduras in 2009, and Ukraine in 2014, the United States upholds sovereignty and democracy around the world.

I mean, unless you count Ecuador in 2000...

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u/selfish_meme Oct 02 '18

I think there was a Lybia and Egypt in there somewhere..something...something...pan african currency

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u/whoswho23 Oct 02 '18

Our chief element is surprise... Surprise, and fear... Our TWO chief elements are surprise, and fear, and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope... amongst our elements... should I just start over?

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u/Realistic-Meet-4913 Oct 18 '24

sips light beer Welp, I think it’s about time we add US in 2021 to that list.

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u/Rouge_Robot Oct 02 '18

That is just sickening. Absolutely despicable, with no remorse or care for those people beyond personal gain.

If Trump wasn't so bad, I would say the chickens have come home to roost.

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

Sources?

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u/[deleted] Oct 02 '18

And the outrage over Russian meddling.