It's hardcore history.

The guest we're going to have on today is talking about a subject that is near and dear

to my heart.

I first fell in love with what I would have called Persian civilization as a teenager

by studying ancient history and the Persians are in one of their, you know, perhaps their

greatest period depends on how you define greatest, but perhaps the greatest period in their

history, but they've had many.

And of course, the long time and antagonist in the ancient world of the Greeks.

And so you get caught up in the romance and the fascinating involvement the Persians

had in the region.

Then you start studying how often they have that involvement and you begin to understand

that this is a traditional regional superpower.

And then right when I'm really getting heavily into my interest in Persia, the situation with

the modern nation of Iran takes 180 degree turn.

When I was a kid, Iran was a nation friendly to the United States.

In fact, one of our best friends, the shift to a fundamentalist religion-backed revolution

where the United States was the great Satan was an unbelievable turn of events, not just

for the United States, but for the entire world stage in terms of what it did to things.

And many people have been born since without any memory of our friendly Iran at all.

John does Vinion is going to talk to us today.

Well, basically about anything I ask him about.

So the deficiencies in the conversation are yours truly not asking more questions about

...