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Iran Shuts Down US Virtual Embassy

Posted by samzenpus on from the close-it-down dept.

bonch writes "Less than 12 hours after the U.S. launched a virtual embassy for Iran, the Iranian government blocked access to the website, directing visitors to a government page proclaiming the site illegal. The White House condemned the move, calling Iran's internet policies 'an electronic curtain of surveillance and censorship around its people.'"

6 of 451 comments (clear)

  1. An electronic curtain of surveillance & censor by br00tus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In a US prison rots Javed Iqbal. Who is Javed Iqbal? He is a satellite dish installer who let people see Al-Manar television. Al-Manar is associated with Hezbollah (which as Shia, are associated with Iran, and the US government constantly links Hezbollah and Iran in statements). So how is the US throwing people getting news from Iranian, and Iranian-allied sources good, yet Iran doing the same thing is "an electronic curtain of surveillance and censorship"?

  2. Re:Really now? by betterunixthanunix · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is hard for the US to call out other countries on their censorship when the US government itself is pushing for censorship. Here is what the conversation looks like:

    US: Hey, Iran! Stop blocking foreign websites!
    Iran: We are just blocking websites that break our laws. You did the same thing when it came to copyright infringement!
    US: Well that was different. Copyright infringement is theft!
    Iran: Yeah well those foreign websites amounted to an attempt to coerce our citizens to rebel against the government! That is even worse!
    US: Well uhh you see...you are doing it for political reasons, so that is bad!
    Iran: Well what is up with your copyright lobbyists and the influence they wield over your congress and executive branch?
    US: herp derp.

    --
    Palm trees and 8
  3. Re:U.S. by Baloroth · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Straighten up your own act before whining about the rest of the world.

    People still complain about the last time the US tried that. World War II, I think it was. Didn't last very long (although, who knows what would have happened if the Japanese had left well enough alone.)

    --
    "None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license." --John Milton
  4. Re:U.S. by Nazlfrag · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Just the one with the most prisoners. And legal bribery of your politicians. And more military than basically the world combined. Yeah, just your average modern utopia.

  5. Re:U.S. by kdemetter · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Before judging blindly, have the decency to look at the website : http://iran.usembassy.gov/

    There seems to be some strange reflex that everything the US does, must be for some evil agenda.
    I'm European , so i recognize the tone. However, our own leaders are just as bad ( if not worse ).

    --
    Slipping shoelaces ?
  6. Re:U.S. by Maow · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sorry, this required a second reply.

    Following quote from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Blitz.

    US stayed out when Britain suffered this:

    The Blitz (from German, "lightning") was the sustained strategic bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941,[1] during the Second World War. The city of London was bombed by the Luftwaffe for 76 consecutive nights and many towns and cities across the country followed. More than one million London houses were destroyed or damaged, and more than 40,000 civilians were killed, half of them in London.[3]

    Other important military and industrial centres such as Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Southampton, Swansea, also suffered heavy air attacks and high numbers of casualties. Birmingham and Coventry were heavily targeted due to the Spitfire and tank factories in Birmingham and the many munitions factories in Coventry; the city centre of Coventry was almost completely destroyed.

    76 consecutive nights of bombing.

    Now, compare to 9/11, and America's reaction and expectation that the entire world would jump immediately to their side, and ... well sometimes the gag reflex is hard to suppress.

    Further case in point, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Blitz_(American_football).

    Yes, it appears that an American football team, based in London, named themselves after the 76 nights of consecutive bombing.

    How'd America like a European-style football (soccer) team based in NY naming itself the New York Nine Elevens? Boggles the mind.