>>63857045
A lot was written about the unreality of the late Soviet Union where there was a rigid ideology explaining nearly everything, which made it nearly impossible for the regime to adapt to a changing situation. In the 1920s, the ideology had a lot of power. In the 1970s, not so much. They still needed the ideology for legitimacy, and couldn't give it up because that meant the ideology was flawed, which prevented reform until it was too late and the whole thing collapsed.

There are also echoes of Maoism. The Chinese didn't want to be dominated by the Russians, so they said the Soviet Union had betrayed communism. The Islamic Revolution in Iran was a way to say the Arabs had betrayed Islam, and allowed this Shia state to flip the cards on the collective Middle Eastern table upside down, and extend their influence in the region. To destroy Israel is also ideologically necessary as a path to redeem the Shia in the eyes of the Sunni Arabs, and also redeem Islam in general from centuries of weakness. To do what the Sunni Arabs failed to do.

But this project is unraveling. It's also totally crazy. Iranians don't have enough water to drink and they've blown billions on this Axis of Resistance. Israel also used to be part of this larger anti-Western, anti-imperialist ideology but it has become a dogma there. Water crisis? "Israel." Angry people beating up the police and tearing the turbans off imams? "Israel." Kids making TikTok videos? "Israel."