When John F. Kennedy was running for president in 1960 he used to say, "Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a good neighbor in Latin America because he was a good neighbor right here at home."

Kennedy was referring to Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy which increased America's popularity to people in that region.  The future president was correct in citing the connection between how people of other nations see us relative to what we are doing at home, and the parallel between adopting a humane attitude domestically and extending it to other nations with which we interact.

Now we are regrettably in a negative cycle in which other nations see America as marauders based not on what the typical American has done, except in instances where voters have overlooked the obvious when some kind of choice was afforded, but what has been done in the name of greed to serve the interest of a tiny handful.

As Mitch McConnell and John Boehner struggle mightily to preserve Bush tax cuts to aid the top two percent of Americans we see the level of resistance against America extending political and economic influence.  

We read and hear every day what a trouble spot Iran is to America and the world.  "If only they would understand us" is one pet saying delivered with the shake of a head and a loud accompanying sigh.

A search through history, in this and other instances, reveals why Iran took the steps it did to bring it to its current chapter where the mainstream media engages in perpetual hand wringing over what is perceived as the policies of "crazies."

To those who have not studied the history of post-World War Two in Iran the idea of Iranians having their own functioning democracy existing under an elected popular leader can expect to be greeted with a dismaying stare and a comment of "Couldn't be!  We're not talking about the same country.  Not in Iran."

Understandably the mainstream media along with corporate giants, particularly in the global oil sphere, are not eager for the real history of Iran to be revealed.  It becomes embarrassing and downright disconcerting.

I am completely puzzled regarding the involvement of the U.S.A. in the affairs of Iran.  It seems that the U.S. somehow managed to overthrow the government in power when they wanted the Shah in power.  

However, when the Shah was overthrown, Iran managed to take U.S. hostages.  President Carter was then in power and repeatedly tried to free the hostages, but everything went wrong.  Carter said he would never bow to hostage demands.

Then along came Ronald Reagan.  Miraculously, he managed to get the hostages free while mouthing the claim he would not bow to the demands of hostage takers.  Then the secret deal leaked out that he had indeed bowed to their demands.  Nevertheless, it didn't hurt Reagan's "tough guy" image.

Reagan was the Teflon president.  Nothing negative that Reagan ever did stuck to him.  Reagan boasted about a "balanced budget" and instead succeeded in tripling the national debt.  All budget promises were forgotten as they named Washington's National Airport after Reagan.