Iranian Government Shutting Down CyberCafes

dertx writes: "Just found a wire article about a recent crackdown on 400 CyberCafes in Tehran by the Iranian government. Apparently now anything enabling internet access in Iran must be 'registered' with an obviously state-run trade union. I guess this is cheaper to implement than China's site filtering system."

Comments

Freedom is Western Concept

[Anonymous Coward]

I realise that you Americans have cultural difficulty thinking outside of your homogenized culture, but consider that the rights and freedoms espoused in your Bill of Rights, and in your Constitution, are so strongly Western in thought that they have not been duplicated by any non-Western culture.

Considering that you Americans have the highest prison rate, highest murder rate, and a corrupt government (the recently "fixed" national election), you can't claim that you're the world's greatest.

On the other hand, no other country comes close to your freedoms to make money, and the freedom to exist and work outside your "Caste" (to borrow an Indian term).

So it boils down to a choice. Financial success and stability in the U.S., or a lower crime rate, better health care, and better education anywhere else.

You might well consider this a flame, but it's not. It's Freedom of Speech, which you so violently advocate -- so long as you approve of and agree with what's being said. Those who disagree with me will surely moderate this post down as Troll or Flamebait.

Re:Freedom is Western Concept

[scotpurl]

The real shame here is that the U.S. ever felt the need to interfere in Iranian politics. Given the number of countries that my country (America) has interfered with, I'm surprised that there haven't been widespread arrests and convictions of Federal employees. Of course, I'm cynical enough to beleive that Rights are the right of only U.S. citizens, and not of folks overseas, or of non-citizens on U.S. soil.

The fact that extremist governments must use dictatorial power to enforce order (Cuba, which is leftist, and Iran, which is conservative) shows just how much the average citizen of that country differs in opinion from their own government. If it were not for the stranglehold the Mullahs have on Iran now, I think the country would be about as liberal as Turkey, which is still not that liberal and open.

I do agree that it's a relatively new concept that the citizens of a country agree to give the government the right to rule. Many countries exist on the idea that someone (not you) rules. The question of liking it, or wanting to change it never culturally enters the argument.

As for moderating you up or down, I think your post deserves at least a one-point mod up. However, it's the decision of the /. authors to equate flamebait and trolls as "speech that must be squelched," hence the whole -1 to +5 moderation and filtering system. If you have issues, take it up with the ./ royalty. *grin*

Re:the Rights of Non-Americans

[scotpurl]

I mean that the rights granted in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and any subsequent ramblings of Congress and the Supremes, apply only to U.S. citizens. Since our CIA can, quite legally, kill anyone overseas that they wish, and they cannot kill any U.S. citizen that they want (at least not on U.S. soil), then there is definitely a double standard.

As everything gets more global, it's going to be interesting to see how the different countries deal with this issue. Since this showed up in the Your Rights Online section, I guess this means that Americans feel that Iranians don't have enough rights. I know that my British friends feel that the number of gun-related crimes here indicates that we have too many rights. However, given that their Bobbies are just starting to carry guns, and that they're just starting to get the "madman with a gun" crimes, I imagine public sentiment may shift. I think the whole British camera-surveillance thing is a bit much.

I think that V-chip TVs did finally hit the market. I don't know if all the programming that's being broadcast carries the necessary coding.

Only illegal if you're caught

[scotpurl]

The blunt truth of The Law is that it's The Law only if The Authorities catch you. Otherwise, you needn't change your modus operandi.

While it may be illegal in the local country to do what the U.S. has, and does, do, who will stand up to the U.S.? Or for that matter, what country will stand up to the bigger bully? (I'm lumping the French and their hidden trials and executions of terrorists in there, as well as the historical Brits, because modern Brits are much less imperialist lately.)

It's not the USA!

[www.sorehands.com]

This is not suprising given that it is Iran.

But, there is similar to things in the USA. In Santa Monica, CA one must get a permit from the city to vend on the prominade. You can't get one, unless you are renting a cart from a specific group. One must wonder if there are payoffs being made to the right officials. This might be the same for Iran.

Iran is about to revolt again.

[Big Torque]

Iran is going though some hard times. The contry is run by the religous class but the verterans of the Iran Iraq war are now coming into power and are really angery at the way the system is being run now. War Veterans are very respected and cary a very large abount of say in IRAN. I see this as a desprat mesure by a desprat leadership trying to hang on.

Karma whore reply...

[grammar nazi]

This sux since the first cybercafe in Tehran was only opened 3 years ago. It is still the only cybercafe at net cafe guide. Of course, from nmit at Georgetown, there doesn't appear to be much internet access available besides the internet cafes. Of course, this is why the government is restricting it, because it is a stranglehold. Don't fear, because there are many other reasons to visit Tehran if you are interested in a vacation.

Heh, Please mod me up!!

How long before it happens here?

[the real jeezus]

It's the old liberal vs. conservative battle played out in a different venue. The conservative Muslims in Iran are very tenacious. After their GOP-financed overthrow of Pavlivi, they took away many freedoms from Iranians. In my life I have met many Iranians whose parents fleed the Ayatollah's brand of totalitarian Islam. Khatami was supposed to prevent that from happening again. One plus for Khatami: one of the cybercafe employees quoted is actually female! That would have never been allowed under the Ayatollah. Now that Khatami is losing power against the conservatives, expect a new wave of Iranian immigrants.

To all Americans: remember that incidents such as this crackdown always begin with some self-styled "Conservative" claiming that a thing or idea is dangerous to the moral value of the Nation.

Ewige Blumenkraft!