EPISODE 111: When Monsters Choose War

May 19, 2025

The podcast explores the harrowing impact of the Iran-Iraq War through personal narratives and historical events. Listeners learn about a friend's tragic fate as a child soldier, the political chaos stemming from pivotal coups, and the rise of oppressive leaderships like Khomeini and Saddam Hussein. It delves into the brutal realities of war, including the use of child soldiers and chemical weapons, and the public despair that followed. Personal stories are woven with historical analysis, revealing the profound scars left by conflict.

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ANECDOTE

Child Soldier's Lifelong Trauma

Daniele Bolelli shares a personal story about a friend forcibly recruited as a child soldier at 13 during the Iran-Iraq war.
The friend lived 40 years haunted by trauma, reflecting the deep human cost of the conflict.

INSIGHT

1953 Coup Shapes Iran's Fate

The 1953 coup in Iran was driven by corporate and political interests to control oil profits.
It set the stage for decades of anti-Western sentiment and instability culminating in 1979 revolution.

INSIGHT

Complex Legacy of Iran's Shah

Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was a complex leader shaped by trauma and entitlement.
His volatile reign combined modernization efforts with harsh repression and personal failings.

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“It is our belief that Saddam wishes to return Islam to blasphemy and polytheism...if America becomes victorious...and grants victory to Saddam, Islam will receive such a blow that it will not be able to raise its head for a long time...The issue is one of Islam versus blasphemy, and not of Iran versus Iraq.” Ayatollah Khomeini

"We do not repent, nor are we sorry for even a single moment for our performance during the war. Have we forgotten that we fought to fulfill our religious duty and that the result is a marginal issue?" Ayatollah Khomeini

A friend of mine recently died after a lifetime of addiction. He was forcibly recruited to be a child soldier in the Iran-Iraq war when he was 13 years old. I think he died back then and spent the following 40 years slowly trying to finish the job. His death pushed me to create this episode about the war that took place during the 1980s. Please, keep in mind this is just an introduction to the topic rather than a deep-dive. And yet, in the course of this episode we’ll explore the 1953 oil coup that led to the rule by the Shah, the 1979 coup that turned Iran into a theocracy, the rise of Saddam Hussein, a televised purge, child soldiers, chemical weapons, martyrdom in the Shia tradition, and an American warship taking down an Iranian civilian airliner.

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