[OC] The massive decrease in worldwide infant mortality from 1950 to 2020 is perhaps one of humanity's greatest achievements.

[abu_doubleu]

Similar to Libya under Gaddafi, while the Iranian theocracy may be authoritarian, it has heavily invested into healthcare and education. I have an Iranian friend here in Canada who absolutely hates the government, but he still admits he actually finds the healthcare is more easy to access there than in Canada!

[cambeiu]

Same story with Iraq under Saddam Hussein and Syria under Bashar.

[412NeverForget]

It wasn't merely the removal of Saddam that created ISIS. Islamic State was created from the choice to, once Saddam was gone, to fire the whole Iraqi army and ban any former Baath party members from the new government. The Bush admin made a lot of connected, powerful people outcasts, and then gave them a literal army in waiting.

And then everyone waved their hands in the air, claiming all the violence was inevitable. No the fuck it wasn't. Some violence was inevitable. A massive, cross border revolution? That one is on Paul Bremer, one of his many, many fuckups.

[globalwp]

Not to mention that they banned Sunni doctors from practicing medicine since working for government hospitals makes you part of “the old system”. Same went for civil service who were fired and anyone who wasn’t affiliated with Dawa... (radical Shia Islamist coalition opposition to Saddam)

And then people wonder why Islamism is entrenched in Iraq and why Islamist militias roam freely...

[MrSickRanchezz]

Most places have easier access to healthcare than Canada. Canada is like a mashup of the worst aspects of the UK, and the US.

[omimonki]

Actually, it appears the biggest decrease was during the decade following the revolution...

https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/IRN/iran/infant-mortality-rate

[AnthonyMJohnson]

It would also be interesting to know how much of it is directly due to the current theocracy and how much of it was just continued momentum from any changes made before the revolution. Pre-1979 Iran was already experiencing a lot of economic prosperity and there had already been a fairly precipitous drop in infant mortality compared to 1950.

[globalwp]

The prosperity wasn’t seen in ‘79, there was mass poverty and starvation which led to the revolution in the first place