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US Calls On Iran To Unblock Social Media Sites Amid Protests (go.com)
The Trump administration is calling on the government of Iran to stop blocking Instagram and other social media sites while encouraging Iranians to use special software to circumvent controls. "The great Iranian people have been repressed for many years," President Trump tweeted yesterday. "They are hungry for food & for freedom. Along with human rights, the wealth of Iran is being looted. Time for change!" ABC News reports: Undersecretary of State Steve Goldstein, in charge of public diplomacy, said the U.S. wants Iran's government to "open these sites" including the photo-sharing platform Instagram and the messaging app Telegram. "They are legitimate avenues for communication," Goldstein said. "People in Iran should be able to access those sites." Iranians seeking to evade the blocks can use virtual private networks, Goldstein said. Known as VPNs, the services create encrypted data "tunnels" between computers and are used in many countries to access overseas websites blocked by the local government. Despite the blocks, the United States is working to maintain communication with Iranians in the Farsi language, including through official accounts on Facebook, Twitter and other platforms. The State Department also was to distribute videos of top U.S. officials encouraging the protesters through those and other sites.
If you think that Iran will willingly let this unrestricted social media thing happen, you are sadly mistaken. Those in control in Iran are not interested in open debate or listening to protestor's complaints.
I suppose you can ask nicely, but if you know the answer is going to be no, why bother?
"File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
... as it took only one day of the new censorship tool "Netzwerkdurchsetzungsgesetz" until the first Tweets with government-critical content were deleted based on it (under the allegation they would be hate speech, the new one-fits-all word to criminalize public dissent).
When we say the same thing to the Saudies. Until then this is just another example of an unpopular administration trying to start a preemptive war with a nation that posses little or no threat to the nation.
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Ignorant vitriol from the US and Trump does not help the difficult situation on Iran.
You see a guy laying in the street bleeding, best just to avert your eyes and move along, right?
Ignoring Iranian protests was what Obama did years ago, how well did that work? Protestors killed, the silence from the outside world ensured defeat and brutal submission.
Even if you are not going to get involved just a word of support can mean a world of difference to fragile movements.
It is time to stop letting the men, and especially WOMEN of Iran suffer any longer under the hands of true tyranny. The benefits of a truly democratic and free Iran would be massive, from a huge reduction in terrorists around the world to removing another backer of North Korea (but then I repeat myself).
I have a friend from Iran, the people of Iran are really different than the government that oversees them. If they were free to do as they like I think it could honestly lead to a renaissance across the Middle East, instead of the endless quagmire we have today. Time for real change.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Your post provides good support of my original comment. You have no idea about Iran, yet strong feelings. You are probably unaware, for example, that the USA actively supported Iraq in the war against Iran in which over a million people were killed, many by Iraqi poison gas. The point being that while those demonstrators want change, you can be sure that none of them see the USA as a beacon of light and democracy, instead, vitriol from Trump really helps the religious reactionary's cause.
As to North Korea, yes, should be dealt with far more forcefully, which means dealing with the USA's banker, China. But you are also probably unaware that N Korea was actually under control under Clinton. It was when Bush went to Iraq that the N Koreans saw their opportunity. And then, of course, Obama did nothing. And Trump will do nothing either except bluster, which may ultimately end up with a very bad result.
The current president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, is a moderate reformer. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... How the fuck is a revolution going to make that situation better for the people of Iran or the stability of that region? This is clearly about the US working with the Saudis (who bombed the world trade center, which was used as a pretext to invade Iraq) and the geopolitical advantage the US has if they are allies with the Saudis, rather than allies of Iran (their protestant/catholic style enemy). It all boils down to the US worrying more about Russian influence in Iran, and countries closer to Russia, and trying to calm down the nutjob Saudis, while also keeping Israel happy so they don't have to stockpile more nuclear bombs. Isn't it about time we show countries like Russia that we can be more functional if we focus on fixing our democracies? Civil discourse, civil engagement rather than this individualistic meltdown that our society is currently experiencing. Maybe then we can show that the world that you don't need a strongman to run a country. Short answer.. fuck this world, fuck its leaders and its uninformed self-centered public.
It allows the US and UK clandestine services to help create and support photogenic uprisings and protests all over Iran.
Without domestic looking social media been open to all such coordination looks too much like other nations astroturfing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
With social media it can still be passed to the 24 new cycle as been spontaneous domestic protests for better conditions and "democracy".
Social media allows a few events in any nation to be presented as a national uprising.
People can be told where to protest, when and with what well designed slogans. Then the stickers, t shirt are ready, a slogan and the needed people in a set part of the country. The pre positioned charismatic english speaking people can give a "spontaneous" interview to pre positioned Western media about freedom.
Perfect audio, location, protest colors, slogans, voice and sound levels, accent and background. The prepackaged face of an uprising.
The strange new forums, sites, proxies that support freedom and can get around any national "censorship". Usually a front for Western intelligence services and their well funded domestic supporters.
Account with no photo or just a short list of political slogans. Repeating the same political messages in a local language between 9am and 5pm GMT.
The events in Serbia are the playbook https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... that showed the used of media, tv, print, slogans, t shirts, stickers and the funding of articulate locals to be the face of protests.
Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
During the last demonstrations after the bogus election in Iran protestors appealed to the outside world for help
http://am.blogs.cnn.com/2009/0...
Mohammad: Yes. Let me tell you something. For about three decades our nation has been humiliated and insulted by this regime. Now Iranians are united again one more time after 1979 Revolution. We are a peaceful nation. We don't hate anybody. We want to be an active member of the international community. We don't want to be isolated. Is this much of a demand for a country with more than 2,500 years of civilization? We don't deny the Holocaust. We do accept Israel's rights. And actually, we want - we want severe reform on this structure. This structure is not going to be tolerated by the majority of Iranians. We need severe reform, as much as possible.
Roberts: Interesting perspective this morning from Mohammad, a student demonstrator there in Tehran.
Mohammad: Excuse me, sir. I have a message for the international community. Would you please let me tell it?
Roberts: Yes, go ahead.
Mohammad: Americans, European Union, international community, this government is not definitely - is definitely not elected by the majority of Iranians. So it's illegal. Do not recognize it. Stop trading with them. Impose much more sanctions against them. My message...to the international community, especially I'm addressing President Obama directly - how can a government that doesn't recognize its people's rights and represses them brutally and mercilessly have nuclear activities? This government is a huge threat to global peace. Will a wise man give a sharp dagger to an insane person? We need your help international community. Don't leave us alone.
And no one did anything.
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The the LA Times and other news outlets are reporting that the government sponsored "Anti American" demonstrations to celebrate the taking of the American hostages 30 years ago now have open demonstrations at the fringes of the government arranged crowds: and they are not shouting death to America but death to the dictators.
The UK Guardian has photos HERE if you scroll down...apparently twitter is back up...and they have a bunch of photos from one of their photo-journalists...
What is more, both of these newspapers report that some of the demonstrators are asking where is the American president, who has been so eager to make peace with the present dictatorship that he has failed to support those who are asking for democracy. Again, quote is from the LATimes:
"Obama, Obama!" protesters chanted on a day marking the 30th anniversary of the United States Embassy takeover. "Either you're with them, or with us."
And where is President Obama? Equivocating, as usual, and talking sweetly to the dictators;
President Obama issued a statement Tuesday night urging Iran's leaders to join with him in overcoming the acrimony forged by the hostage crisis three decades ago.
"This event helped set the United States and Iran on a path of sustained suspicion, mistrust and confrontation," Obama said. "I have made it clear that the United States of America wants to move beyond this past, and seeks a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interests and mutual respect."
This type of statement, of course, could be interpreted as President Obama backing the present regime: all in the name of peace, of course.
I'm not suggesting the US invade or anything. But if a murderous and hostile theocracy is mowing down peaceful demonstrators the US should say that's a bad thing and nail it with sanctions.
I've met a lot of expat Iranians and they all loath the Islamic Republic regime and consider it far worse than the Shah's. And from a foreign policy perspective a democratic Iran would be mighty handy - Iran dominates Syria
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The revolt is against the theocracy. You should have spent a few more minutes building your Wikipedia presentation.
Seriously? Thats what you have? Moving people living in the middle of the park for months for months? Your are free to protest. It doesn't mean you can move onto public land and live there.
If that is true, when are the US sanctions against Saudi Arabia announced?
Yeah.. and the last big revolution work out great against Edrogan in Turkey didn't it? How many moderates were locked up in prison as a result? Fucking imbeciles use words like fucking imbeciles to argue their point.
No, the revolt is orchestrated for Israel. All our wars are for The Greater Israel Project where they take over the middle east and the world. I wish we would stop fighting wars for Israel and showering them with money. They can defend themselves. They just become more powerful and dangerous and manipulate our own country to have open borders and race mixing and anti-white policies while they create a fascist pure Jewish Ethno state out of Israel and push their borders into Syrian territory.
Super Dipolamtic Powers...Activ...oh, nevermind. :-(
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The point is not that American meddling is unique, but that it is STUPID and COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.
By speaking out on behalf of the protesters, we are helping the government paint them as unpatriotic stooges working for the benefit of Iran's enemies.
We really need to learn when to just STFU.
Holy mackerel! Think of all the Scrabble points you'd earn from that word.
but they're not necessarily good people. I'd like to see my country really stand up for freedom. And to do that we have to do it everywhere. And not by declaring anyone an "enemy". That's not going to help. Better to lead by example. Don't attack unless your attacked. Demand human rights from our trading partners and our allies. And no, just because you're not an ally doesn't mean you're an enemy.
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I'll be more impressed when the US starts calling out Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. Or apologizes for the military dictatorships it sponsored in Latin America for decades.
Not really anything to do with the new law. She is under criminal investigation, so even before for tweets would have been removed, at least until the investigation / prosecution ends.
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Camping on public land was the greatest protest idea since the 60's - which is why Obama crushed OWS at the federal level. Because a nice, polite, convenient protest is an irrelevant protest. But when all else fails (before violent riots) you make yourself enough of a (non-violent) pain in the ass that its easier for TPTB to throw you a bone than continuing to ignore you.