Imagine an Iran without the ayatollahs – PART 2: Trade & Commerce

News outlets in the US and worldwide have wrongfully focused on the negative possibilities with the demise of the Ayatollah regime in Iran which has been imploding recently due to economic collapse, civil unrest inside Iran and the regime’s slaughter of innocent protestors inside Iran. This negative outlook is unhelpful and only serves to help the regime’s propaganda efforts to avoid their imminent collapse. Yet when one explores the numerous positive future outcomes from the collapse of the Islamic regime in Iran, they outweigh the negatives. Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of Iran not being ruled by the corrupt and backwards Ayatollahs, is the increased opportunities for economic growth in Iran and international commerce.

INCREASED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES

For nearly 50 years the ignorant and uneducated ruling Islamic clerics have driven Iran’s economy into the ground and utterly devastated the rapid growth and modernization of Iran that begun under the reign of the late Shah. Iran is not only wealthy from its vast energy sector but also has plenty of other natural resources such as abundant mineral resources that could make the nation and its people one of the wealthiest in the world. Yet since 1979, the Ayatollahs, their crooked cronies as well as their criminal revolutionary guard thugs have pocketed Iran’s vast wealth for themselves and their families. For nearly 50 years, the Islamic regime’s corrupt ruling elite have exclusively controlled various private and public sector business sectors. Likewise, the totalitarian and the corrupt mafia-like nature of the Islamic regime, which is not based on any kind of equitable laws or a fair judiciary, has largely caused foreign companies to avoid from investing in Iran or engaging in serious business ventures in the country where their ventures would be instable and subject to random confiscation by the regime. Investment in such a corrupt and lawless nation has been too risky of a proposition for most international companies. Moreover, the Ayatollah regime’s near 50-year financial support for many terrorist groups has led to the United States and many other western nations to sanction the regime and has inhibited a substantial amount of international trade in the world with Iran.

This being said, when the current criminal and corrupt regime is replaced with a responsible, secular, democratic, law-abiding and open market government in Iran, then many of the sanctions and factors that prevented economic trade with Iran could very quickly disappear. American, European and foreign companies involved in the energy sector would likely flock to Iran where they would find available crude oil and gas for the world markets. Other American and western businesses would also likely seek to sell their consumer goods to the Iranian market with its 90 million strong population which is largely pro-American, younger in demographics and yearns for western products. Likewise, Iran’s industrial sector which was once booming prior to the 1979 will be seeking to purchase all types of new and advanced industrial machinery from the U.S. and Europe to upgrade their companies’ production. Such businesses for years have been using older equipment or forced to purchase lower quality Chinese or Russian equipment. Other business sectors such as agriculture, mining, pharmaceutical production, tourism, entertainment, finance/banking and real estate development have largely been ignored or held in monopolies by the Ayatollah regime’s corrupt cronies for decades and would absolutely be ripe to be explored by domestic and foreign companies. In essence, the sky is the limit in the future for potential business ventures in Iran without the Ayatollahs where a secular, democratic and responsible government were in control of the country to help foster its development and growth.

INVESTMENT IN IRAN’S INFRASTRUCTURE

Many forget but the ruling  backwards Islamic regime has failed to invest a penny into improving Iran’s infrastructure, power grid or water systems in the last 50 years. The nation of Iran which is now 90 million in population does not have adequate public transportation systems, modern highways and a proper 21^st century telecommunications network set up for its current population. The last upgrade to the power grid and water systems were made over 60 years ago in Iran by the late Shah’s government when Iran’s population was slightly under 40 million people. Moreover, Iran under the Ayatollah regime has not given a damn about the welfare of Iran’s population nor major environment by polluting toxins into Iran’s air from the burning of dirtier crude oil or dumping toxins in Iran’s water ways. Again, Iran’s wealth for nearly 50 years as either gone into the pockets of the Islamic regime’s leaders, cronies or thugs or gone into the pockets of notorious genocidal terrorists worldwide. As a result of these failures to upgrade the country’s various crumbling infrastructure, water systems, power grid, telecommunications systems for nearly 50 years, Iran and its population have been suffering greatly. The end of the Ayatollah regime will result in a new democratic government having to invest billions into such public works projects in order to bring Iran into the 21^st century and provide such needed services for the nation’s massive population. Without a doubt American, European and even Israeli companies for all sizes will have plenty of opportunities to bid on such infrastructure and public works projects and bring their expertise to help Iran rebuild itself in the modern era. Where would the money come to pay for such projects you may ask? Iran’s wealth generated from the energy sector as well as other natural resources are plentiful and could very easily be used to fund such projects to upgrade the entire country.

IRAN’S POWERFUL HUMAN CAPITAL & NEW HI-TECH SECTOR

Those who know Iranians living in Iran or elsewhere in the world, know that they are largely a very intelligent, highly educated, innovative, entrepreneurial and business savvy people. Unlike the populations in the neighboring Arab countries, a large segment of Iranian men and women are highly educated people in almost every single field of study. Since 1979, millions of educated and successful Iranians have been forced to flee Iran because of the Ayatollah regime’s tyranny, religious persecution, corruption and the lack of opportunities available for them to advance in their careers inside Iran. Without a doubt once the current Islamic regime is no longer in power, many of the current 4 to 5 million Iranians living in diaspora today would return to live and work in Iran. The brain drain that has been going on Iran for nearly 50 years because of the backwards rule of the Ayatollahs could likely be reversed and Iran would benefit from its human capital. Many diaspora Iranians that are highly educated and have successful businesses in America and the Western nations, would undoubtedly set up the same operations and ventures in a new secular and democratic Iran. Their presence along with domestic companies hiring bright and educated Iranians inside the country would be formula for success in an Iran without the Ayatollahs.

At the same time, we should not forget that a high percentage of both educated younger and older Iranians in Iran and worldwide are involved in the hi-tech and engineering sectors. These bright minds living outside of Iran have been responsible for many of America’s and Europe’s successful hi-tech and engineering companies. Likewise, over the years Iranians have been working side-by-side with successful Israelis in many of America’s Silicon Valley businesses to create some of the world’s most innovative new technologies and life-altering new devices. A future Iran without the Ayatollahs where a permanent peace would be in place between Iran and Israel, we could see numerous joint-venture projects inside Iran and Israel between Iranians and Israeli innovators that could totally transform the world. Again, this is not wishful thinking, it’s a proven formula that has worked for years with bright Iranian and Israeli minds working together in Silicon Valley. Such business ventures and cooperation between Iranian and Israeli hi-tech businesses could transform Iran into another major hi-tech hub in the world.

The future of Iran, the Middle East and the entire world will without a doubt be significantly more peaceful and stable once this evil Ayatollah regime is eradicated from the face of the earth. My following pieces will explore how Iran without the Ayatollahs in power will be beneficial in other spheres of life.