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REVISTA IEEE 11

253 Pedro Luis Rubio Terés The iranian elites as perceived from their society and… that the revolution extolled are present in every socio-political decision14. This is consistent with the two different phases that most ideological revolutions show: —— The «tumultuous period» in which it is ought to absorb the state apparatus and prove to the people that it can do so in an economic successful fashion with an admissible level repression of oppositional collectives. —— The «stable period», in which the new set of values becomes institutionalized and produces political and economic outcomes of its own. THE CULT OF PERSONALITY IN THE ANCIENT REGIME Most rentier states and their incumbents have strived throughout modern history to bring political stability and benefit economically in the meantime. In that sense perhaps, no case has been more emblematic than the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in which adulation of the most conceited sort emanated from both national aspirants and foreign governments to pursue their piece of the gas and oil share. Figure 1: the cult of personality dates back to the early Islamic period, where domed tombs venerated the fallen leaders. This one is a dome from the Safavid Dynasty (1501-1732) Irrespective from its nature, an authoritarian regime cannot be solely sustained by the abundance of natural resources and the populist need of some paternalistic elite to guarantee their correct management. It is necessary to propose some sort of ideology that predicts a golden (although unattainable) future for the set of citizens adhering to it. In other words, the «cruel optimism»15 that induces citizens to think that the abnegation of human freedom that causes so much damage will be by far compensated in time. 14  This omnipresence of the religious authorities decides who remains in the «political game», and is illustrated by governmental bodies under the supervision of the Supreme Leader such as the Association of Friday Prayer Leaders. 15  This term was particularly used by Berlant to describe the unpleasant modes of life encouraged in industrial societies which are supposed to pay off in the long run. BERLANT, Lauren. Cruel Optimism, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2001, p.1. http://revista.ieee.es

REVISTA IEEE 11
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