MAY DAY 2019 – IRAN
Decades ago, when the brutal dictator Shah of Iran was overthrown, I was a young college student. About two years prior to his overthrow, it appeared that the Shah was firmly in control.
However, things began to change in mid-1977 when the economy started to decline. The events moved very quickly after that. There was a series of strikes by oil refinery workers. Change was in the air.
Leftist groups came out of hiding. The masses were ready for a communist revolution. No group had this outlook and the conservative Islamists seized power with counter-revolution.
The situation today is unprecedented. In the last one year we had several strikes in Tehran and other cities. The strikes by oil workers, truckers, students and other industrial workers were widespread and brutally suppressed.
After Trump imposed sanctions on Iran, things have worsened. Inflation is skyrocketing and the value of Rial (currency) is collapsing.
Food prices have doubled in just one month. In late 2017, when the price of eggs increased 60%, Tehran witnessed massive street demonstration. Police opened fire, killing 21 people, wounding many others. Currently most workers are not paid for months.
Common people have accepted the fact that sooner, rather than later there is going to be a major military confrontation with the US. After Iran shot down a US spy drone, the regime tried to whip up nationalism, but people are suffering. The war is already here for many. Hunger and high prices, disappearing basic necessities of life are slowly killing many.
We have not yet felt the full impact of the May sanctions. From about 2.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil production it has trickled down to less than 400,000 bpd. It is going to decline more, causing havoc on the local economy.
The Iranian ruling class is corrupt and ruthless. To break out of the sanctions, they will have to escalate proxy wars, leading to direct confrontation with US.
Both the US and Iranian rulers are in a weak position. The working class has the opportunity to fight for communism.
The revolutions of 1953 and 1979 show that the Iranian masses can overthrow brutal regimes. Now we must overthrow with communist revolution.
Reader in Iran