259. Iran: England - 'The Little Satan'

[@briangarrow448]

My former spouse was attending university here in the United States when the Shah’s regime fell. There was a very large contingent of Iranian students attending her university. I particularly remember driving to her college and seeing multiple Italian and German super cars, along with Land Rovers, Jaguars and Mercedes Benz top of the line models. Her university was rather well known for its large population of Iranian students. I believe that 90% of them were male. For a small liberal arts university in the Pacific Northwest, I was shocked by how many Iranian students were attending there. I was also impressed by how intensely they could party! They were a very fun group of young people. Within a year or two after the revolution, almost every single one of these students were gone. I know not where, whether to other schools or back home. And my sweeties University was a much more boring school because of it.

[@johngalt97]

And times were tight for many Americans, then.

[@j0nnyism]

Yea there was one or two rich iranians at my uni but in the 90s

[@watcherofthewest8597]

As an anti-soccer yankee, I didn't know about the world cup 32 country extravaganza, but its been great! Thank you, gentlemen!

[@pdog547]

as a Canadian...well, it's a lot more interesting than watching the World Cup! But it did remind me that it exists.

[@toneydavis9802]

Fantastic series. Keeps getting better and better.

[@parsahasselhoff7986]

I'm from Iran and I've never ever heard the term "Little Satan" applied to England or anyone else.

[@robertalpy]

We built the Erie canal long before the French needed help with the relatively easy suez. After that we fired the Panama canal through a pestilential jungle after the French abandoned the project when their people kept dying. Ours did too, but we didn't quit and we hired more locals who died in droves but seemed to be able to handle the heat and malaria a little better if not much better. A tunnel under the thames? That's easy. Now the tunnel under the channel...that is impressive by the standards of an industrial power.

[@Terinije]

I feel like the '42-'43 famine that killed approximately 3-4 million should've been given a pretty larger focus on everyday Iranian hatred towards Britain intensifying in the 20th Century. The Brits blamed the locals, but you only need to ask the Bengalis about their near simultaneous famine as a result of British mismanagement about their situation to see that that probably doesn't hold much sway.

[@AP-nj1mr]

True! Is seems like the best kept secret in history.

[@jodon2271]

Probably could have given a line or two about the Iran-Iraq War. Kiiiinda a big scar over there.

[@nickbryars6022]

You forgot to mention Scotland's 1 - 1 draw with Iran in 1978.

[@parsahasselhoff7986]

I think Ali tends to undersell how unpopular the Iranian government and their ideological rhetoric are in the country.

[@Houthiandtheblowfish]

nope