Amazing scenes in Iran.
Awful ones too of course but how inspiring to see all those people taking to the streets in protest – so many that the police and the army, in the end just had to stand back and watch. Just like those events in Eastern Europe which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Great that the “rigged” election results are being recounted too and, no matter what happens, we all have another memorable image of what people can do if they can just join up and take to the streets. I applaud those Iranians, tremble for them and wish them well.
I know that the opposition candidate is not exactly a liberal but the people are supporting him because he is not President Ahmadinejad and that seems a good enough reason to me. If they can bring about a change of regime and bring in stuffy old Mir Hossein Mousavi then maybe just change itself will begin an unstoppable surge. I hope so just as I dread the other possibilities.
I am sure that this blog will make no difference but it is my tiny contribution to the phenomenal growth of blogs and the “twitters” which are threatening to bring real democracy to not only Iran but maybe even, one day to China and North Korea.
China, of course, blocked all such communications when the anniversary of the Tienanmen Square demonstration was marked the other week – surely an acknowledgment of the power of all those individual voices resounding through computers everywhere. Certainly Iran is showing just what non-state controlled communications can lead to.
So if anyone in Iran reads this – I am with you all the way. All strength to your individual arms. Joined together they are a mighty force for change.
Sometimes, foolishly I am sure, I get a great surge of optimism about the World. It started, I think, with Barack Obama getting elected in America. During the campaign I thought, it can’t possibly happen. How could such a man actually get elected? Well, of course it happened. These things can escalate – like the fabled flutter of butterfly wings which can alter the World.
Barack Obama has not ignored the revolutionary force of computer communications. He talked directly to Iran – not at a summit but through another of those great pieces of new technology Utube. Could this spread?
There will be more grizzly scenes no doubt – the Pakistan army is starting a major military offensive against the Taleban which will undoubtedly involve multiple deaths but also a surge of hope that Osama bin Laden’s stronghold may just begin to crumble. I don’t want to give the man too much praise but let’s remember that it was Barack Obama who flexed his muscles on Pakistan’s dithering President to stop the Taleban-isation of Pakistan’s Swat Valley. In Pakistan too, there are all those bloggers and twitterers saying enough of all this repression.
Even nasty old Prime Minister Natanyahu of Israel, after his trip to Washington, is having to make conciliatory remarks about Palestine even if it is through gritted teeth.
Dare I hope that this is actually all part of a change spreading through the World? I am probably wrong but maybe we can all help by blogging, Utubing and twittering like mad.
We should remember that we are the ordinary guys and gals and we are all OK.