Iran, U.S. still captive to 1979 hostage crisis

One might better say that we are still held hostage by the 1953 coup that installed the Shah of Iran. It was the first time in modern history that the U.S. overthrew a democratically elected government in order to install someone who would be friendlier to U.S. economic and political interests. That, it appears to me, is when the current mess started.

There were many things to like about Republican President Eisenhower, but on the downside he started the tradition of Republican Presidents overthrowing democratically elected governments, whether in Asia, Africa, or South America.