Iranspiration
My first reaction to the situation in Iran was rooted in base gratitude for the fact that I live in a country where the transfer of power is a “reasonable, peaceful” process.
One commenter had a different reaction:
I was happy when I saw the Iranian chaos. To me it demonstrates the growing liberalism and the increasing level of freedom of expression that is arising in Iran. It’s actually quite inspiring.
Increasingly, I agree, especially after reading about developments like this one.
Of course, the million-dollar question remains: “Is it all for naught?” My wife thinks it is. She suspects we’ll be disappointed in the end; that for all the apparent cracks in the Iranian circle of power, nothing much will change. Normally, I’d share her skepticism. This time, I don’t, for some inexplicable (naive?) reason.
———————-
UPDATE: My naivete takes its lumps, while my wife’s skepticism is boosted. (She has always been the smarter of the two of us.)
2 Responses to “Iranspiration”
Putting the political aspect of a single country aside, for the moment, I've been pleasantly surprised at the impact of the Internet in this development. Cell phones, international television, radio, and many Internet sites have been shut down or otherwise blocked by the national (Iranian) government. Protesters, and even some supporters, are now using newer technologies to organize communications both in and out of the country: Twitter, web blogs, Internet proxies, etc. As some of these sites are blocked, other avenues are being created by foreigners to keep the lines of communication open.
Time has shown, again and again, that the younger generations will yearn for some sort of change if they are given the chance – thus the reason why many political rallies and activist groups target younger people. The more successful, long-term organizations realize that the seeds of change are planted in the first or second wave of followers, who become more accepting older generations as time passes.
Stepping back into Iranian demographics, roughly 70% of the population is at or under 30 years of age. If even a quarter of this group is participating in the protests, that means that 17% of the population will grow older and accepting that change is necessary for their country. Should nothing change, and suppression still follow, I would wager that those seeking change would only increase in time.
An interesting case study between Tehran and Tiennenman could be made, as one of the key differences between the two situations is the degree of communications available in either situation. In the former, stories are being relayed every second; for the latter, stories are still being discovered decades later. The effect of this, alone, can make things quite difficult for those in power to spin different versions to their benefit.
I believe Iran will improve someday. And they won't give up their identity and become Westernized simply by laying their hands on Western technological improvements any more than the Japanese have. (Arab nations, to the extent they're concerned about Western influences, should bear this in mind, too.)