With all media being restricted in Iran, the best place to get news now is Twitter using the tag #iranelection. You can find up to the minute updates from Change_for_Iran, an Iranian student, StopAhmadi, a supporter of the opposition, OxfordGirl, Iran09, Tehran Bureau and Alirezasha.
It is worth noting that this democratic revolution has vocal supporters on every side of the aisle. It seems to be an issue that everyone can join together in supporting the Iranian protesters. But the divide becomes what should our country do.
Obviously, most conservatives see this as proof that Ahmadinejad cannot be reasoned with and we should walk away from negotiations and heap international pressure on the regime, while expressing solidarity with the opposition. It is a risky move, there is no doubt, but now even liberals like those at Slate are calling on Obama to get tougher with Iran.
They warn that unless the international community, especially the US, capitalize on the situation and support the budding revolution, the ruling party will eventually crush the opposition ala Tiananmen Square and have their power more strongly solidified and become even more radical, antagonistic and anti-West.
Of course while bloggers and people from both sides are focusing on the people of Iran and the possible solutions to the situation, others are determined to use the events to slime political opponents. In his analysis of the situation liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias couldn't resist throwing in a cheap shot at the left's new obsession, Sarah Palin:
Indeed, the campaign itself didn't have very clear implications for U.S. policy. Ahmadinejad is in most ways a classic right-winger, a demagogic nationalist and cultural conservative. In a manner somewhat reminiscent of a Sarah Palin, however, he clothes this right-wing politics in a language of class resentment, painting his more pragmatic and reformist opponents as decadent elites out of touch with ordinary people. Unlike the populists of the American right, however, he merges this rhetoric with something resembling an actual populist economic agenda.
I can't tell who Yglesias thinks less of: Ahmadinejad or Palin: since she only talks a populist game, but he actually has a "populist economic agenda." Not to mention that fact that Yglesias praised Ahmadinejad in 2006 as having "a pretty sweet hipster style" and being an example for President Bush in diplomacy. (Go for that choice quote, stay for the leftists praising the Iranian dictator because the enemy of their enemy (Bush) is their friend. Nice.)
I think it's disgraceful that anyone on any side would use this situation to score points against the other. Iglesias is one example; McCain is another.
IMO, Obama is taking the right course: a moderate stance, avoiding getting overtly involved while signaling his disapproval of the Iranian government's tactics. This prevents the Mullahs and Achmenijad from blaming the U.S. and thus discrediting the democracy movement.
>>> This prevents the Mullahs and Achmenijad from blaming the U.S. and thus discrediting the democracy movement.
Um…<a href="
no"> <a href="http://;http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=247037">no” target=”_blank”>;http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=247037">no it doesn't.
That's the point that conservatives have been making on Iran, on terrorism and on all our enemies (North Korea, Venezuela, etc.) It doesn't matter how nice you talk, they are going to hate us, going to blame us for all their perceived problems.
I agree that Obama should not go in guns blazing, etc., but the protesters have been almost begging for outside support or at least a stronger condemnation of the dictators. The least Obama could do was walk away from negotiating with the blooded covered regime murdering their own people to cover up a riged election.
Sorry, the link got screwed up. Let me try again:
Iran blaming U.S. for recent election crisis
Bill O'Reilly agrees with you (he's actually very fair and balanced when it comes to Obama, and often praises him for his 'good' decisions). But one of Bill' guests the other night remarked also that this is exactly what the US has long hoped for – an *internal* shift of popular opinion away from raidcal Islam – we would like the momentum of this to continue, though we can't officially support it – but perhaps the movement would gain momentum and popular international support if we did.
Perhaps one of our allies should vocally support it.