Ha, ha, ha, you belong to the "glass is nearly always empty" camp, so it's a surprise that you mustered any enthusiasm at all for Chavez and Putin. :->
Is inflation in Iran today worse than in Khatami's days: "Under Mohammed Khatami's two presidencies (1997-2005), the upper and middle classes had prospered. A fixed US dollar exchange rate, soaring house prices and civil service pay rises in a country with a bloated public sector all contributed to their prosperity. But inflation shot up to about 20% and the poor grew poorer; as their purchasing power evaporated they were lectured on the merits of a 'dialogue of civilisations'" (Alexandre Leroi-Ponant, "Iran's New Power Balance," <http://mondediplo.com/2006/12/04iran>)?
As for Iran's Revolutionary Guards' economic role, I am reminded of their counterpart in Cuba: "Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces rent rooms to tourists through Gaviota SA, the island's fastest-growing hotel conglomerate. They sell premium cigars, peddle consumer goods through an island-wide retail chain and serve lobster dinners at the Divina Pastora restaurant in Havana's landmark Morro Castle. The military also has a say in allotting nickel mines and leasing offshore lots for oil exploration. The University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies estimates that soldiers control more than 60 percent of the island's economy" (Jose de Cordoba, "Cuba's Military Puts Business on Front Lines," 15 November 2006, <http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06319/738513-28.stm>).
It's in the end up to the peoples of Iran, Cuba, etc. to decide whether the glass is half full or empty, whether or not they make right or wrong choices from your or my points of view. The Iranians may indeed decide Ahmadinejad's policy is half empty -- then, they'll have a chance to vote him out. -- Yoshie <http://montages.blogspot.com/> <http://mrzine.org> <http://monthlyreview.org/>