(Untitled)

[scrawled]

It's really depressing me more people aren't trying to educate themselves about the big shake-down in Iran. Last night I had no idea about any of it -- they only watch Fox News at my grandma's and I'd rather have no news -- I've spent all morning reading about it. It's fascinating, horrifying and makes me feel angry and helpless. I've been keeping

Comments

[randomvacancy]

Thank you for these links - our culture is way too damn sheltered.

[scrawled]

Yes :( :( :( and no problem!

[randomvacancy]

Actually, this is a really weird request, but would you consider making this entry public so I can link to it?

[scrawled]

I don't mind at all! :D

[epee]

This is definitely one of the big events of the summer--I've been keeping up with it, usually through exchanging links with other politically-savvy friends on facebook. By far my favorite article was in the New Yorker. I wish I had kept the link, but basically it talked about how voter turn-out in Iran this year was at an all-time high, with over 80% of the population coming out to vote and something like how 75% of that was young people. Their voter turn-out was even greater than ours, but the concept is the same. They want change just as we wanted change, and I think that as the fore bearers (albeit self-titled) of freedom of choice and equality, we should be as invested in their future as we are in my own.

[scrawled]

This, so hard. They just want what we wanted: change for the better :[

[flight__]

I wouldn't be so incredibly quick to dismiss the reaction of the US as a whole, bb. I know that my FB and Twitter are depressingly devoid of news (except for the raging debate in the status updates of a guy I know from high school, an Iranian who apparently supports Ahmadinejad), but that's because it's not wise to use those as your political platforms, not when you don't know the beliefs of your friends. On FB, my activity has been limited to changing my profile pic to this, and to posting a link to the Boston Globe's pictures of Tehran, since they are impartial.

You also have to take into account who you're talking to. bb, you don't live in a great political area :[ so sad, but so true.

I am finally proud of Obama though, because he has been very level-headed about this (compared to McCain, who thinks we should storm in there, guns a-blazing).

And finally, I think that the most important thing Americans can do is to spread the word, no matter the way they think. It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you are talking about

[scrawled]

Oh I didn't mean America as a whole, just my area and people in my life. I feel scared to bring it up to my mom who could go either way. I should edit my post to reflect that. :(

But yes, I watched the interview with McCain and felt so pissed off. NICE IDEA THERE, BUDDY. WE'RE GOING TO BUST UP IN DERE. Sadly, again, a lot of people I know IRL would SUPPORT this notion.

And communication and opening a dialogue? The best thing!

[gallo_de_pelea]

Nnnnnnghhhhh

Even though I didn't support McCain in the election, it still pains me to see him acting like this. I KNOW THERE'S AN INTELLIGENT PERSON IN THERE. ;_;

[scrawled]

Ditto ;; IT'S DEPRESSING D:

[pandorasblog]

Thanks so much for making this post. I see that one_hoopy_frood has even posted a code so that people can repost her entry on the subject to spread awareness.

I had a similar reaction to you - what brought it home to me just how systematic and comprehensive the oppression was, was hearing how they'd shut down peoples' ability to send text messages. Such a simple yet horrifyingly effective way to shut down basic communication, and such an easy exercise of the kind of power that no state should have over its people - I am not in any way downplaying the violence or my reactions to the violence, but it was when I heard that they'd taken these steps to stop Iranians telling the world what was going on that I understood fully the overwhelming control under which people in Iran are forced to live.

[scrawled]

Yes! And reposting it is a such a good idea. I'm glad to see people doing it.

This is EXACTLY it. The nature of oppression we usually invision is violence and while there is plenty of that going on, small, every day things are being taken away to enforce control. It's really terrifying.

[muha]

I've mostly just read parts of the articles about this in the news so I'm not entirely sure of what's going on so I might be guilty as well. Anyhow, thanks for the links, so far I've only gotten Sweden's pov!

And something ot. The EU election was held.. erhm.. whenever it was held and I voted, but most of my classmates thought it was pointless and that attitude bugs me, "politics bore me" they say and that's it. I jus think it's so.. lazy and selfish? This bugs me so much, grah.