21. 06.
Social media sites and tools - most especially Twitter and YouTube have brought to the world and to the Iranian people the ability to share directly what the ruling powers of the nation most fear: the truth of the brutality of the regime and the illegitimate election results.
I’m no expert on Iranian or Middle Eastern affairs. I have no claim to expertise on the history of Iran or of the Iranian Revolution of 30 years ago. What I do have, however, is Twitter and YouTube and thankfully so do many of those risking their lives on the streets of Tehran in support of an end to the current regime.
The Iranian regime can cut television, own the radio waves and run the printing presses. This revolution - and others like it (Moldova just two months ago) - will be tweeted. I find this deeply hopeful.
I read a very interesting editorial by Thomas Friedman at the NY Times wherein he describes how Mr. Moussavi, a candidate approved to run by the regime, became the symbol for change in Iran even though he likely would espouse (as correctly pointed out by the White House) policies that are not much different from those of Ahmadineja. I highly recommend it.
There are an increasing number of videos being made available on YouTube and elsewhere that show the chaos, bravery and tragedy in the streets of Iran. Mashable has a worthwhile collection. The video of the young woman shot is deeply frightening and disturbing. It is the image of her last moments of life that is likely to fuel a continuation of the outrage on the streets.
I expect the right wing would have a talk-radio field day if Obama said it (and he didn’t) so I will instead: “Today we are all Iranians”.
Rest her soul.
Ed Rooney