Democracy works because it depend on the good sense and innate fairness of ordinary people. Just read this quote -

Though many aid workers were turned back, others were allowed to stay. Iranians were becoming angrier by the day as the mullahs arrogantly refused help from countries like Israel. A cab driver in Tehran was heard saying:

"What nerve these mullahs have to turn away aid offered by the Israelis...those poor people over there are constantly dealing with those suicide bombers, who are probably financed by the clerics of the Islamic republic of Iran, and yet they are kind enough to offer us their aid and these audacious zealots over here threaten to attack them!"

Is it possible that the tragic earthquack will do to the Iranian theocracy what Chernoble did for the Soviet Union, undermine the little legitimacy it still has?