Have we been " deceived"? If yes, why?

Earlier tonight I was involved in a discussion and debate with a number of close friends. As usual the main focus or our discussion was ourselves, i.e. our " fate". 28 years have passed but there are still many Iranians who believe that " we did not deserve this!"Some go as far as suggesting that Khomaini " decievied" the Iranians into accepting an Islamic Republic about which they knew nothing. The latter part of the claim may be true, but I do not share the first part. At the time, Iran had about 33 million people, and the question that should be addressed is this: Even if there was any truth in this claim, why 33 million people have allowed him to " deceive" them!
My own view is in fact slightly different. The fundamental problem that needs to be resolved if Iran is to get anywhere, is the question of Iran's " build-in" despotism. The rights of individual need to be defined and sufficient legat framework for their protection should be devised. The freedom with regards to individual opinion and equally important, free expression of those opinion should be established. There should be no " ifs" and " buts", as these could be abused by every little despots. If we could move in this direction, one could hope that over time, an average man or woman in Iran would learn how not to be "deceived" by an individual, be it that " Khomaini" or Reza Pahlavi- the son of the late Shah. Ignorance is the mother and father of all evils and ignorance, is the trade mark of an unfree society. But, in Iran these days, we need more than ever to learn, and learn, and learn. Otherwise, there would be no futrue worth having.
What do you think?