The inefficiency of the control freaks

Arnold Beichman:

Here's a gag that used to circulate in the days of the Soviet Union and communist central economic "planning":

What would be the immediate result if the Kremlin seized the Sahara desert? Answer: Within a week, there would be a shortage of sand.

That old joke came to mind reading news reports that Iran's dictatorship had imposed gasoline rationing on its domestic market. Yes, gas rationing in Iran, OPEC's second-biggest producer of crude oil and the world's fourth-largest exporter of crude oil. And you can be sure that gas rationing in a country drowning in petroleum means an explosive growth in black marketeering, especially in the capital city of Tehran with a population of 12 million.

Announcement by Iran's Oil Ministry of gas rationing set off wild street riots culminating in torching of gas stations and looting of government-owned businesses, government banks, and chain stores.

Iran's state-run media reported nearly 30 percent of the country's gas stations were destroyed or severely damaged. And the blame for all this is dumped on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 51, elected two years ago after pledging to revive a stagnant economy. His pledge has become a national joke.

Since Mr. Ahmadinejad's election, according to Reuters, inflation has zoomed 30 percent — and still zooming — in what has long been a stagnant economy. Living standards have fallen in this country of more than 70 million people.

But things get even worse. The government has failed to build gasoline refineries to meet consumer needs so until recently Iran has been spending $5 billion buying gasoline on the world market.

American consumers will be interested to know that until recently, motorists in Iran could buy gas for 34 cents (U.S.) a gallon. Today the per gallon price is 42 cents. The government was importing gas to the tune of $5 billion a year but lacking hard currency, it cut that expenditure in half — $2.5 billion for gas imports — which is why there are gas lines and angry consumers. The cut is due in part to Iran's funding the global terrorist networks, especially in Iraq.

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If there is one country in the Middle East that should be a howling economic success, it is Iran. And if there is one country in the world that proves revolutions usually create worse conditions than previously existing, it is Iran. For however bad conditions were in the days of the shah and his secret police, the Savak, Iran was a far happier place and more open than it is today.

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The Iranians have managed to find something much worse than rule under the Shah, and it is likely to get worse. The true believers and the religious bigots in charge will ratchet up the intensity of their theocracy as the country's situation ratchets down. It is one of the problems with Islam. As things get worse the true believers believe it is because they have not been Islamic enough so they become more Islamic making things even worse. That is happening now in Iran with the sex police and the fashion police harassing the young people and the economy minister prays for something to happen to the gas lines. That prayer will only be answered with the overthrow of this despotic regime.