Iranian election

[€uroMeinke]

I'm fascinated with the story as well. The demographics of the country are so young, so it is interesting to see what this generation wants and is willing to do. The Internet/Social Networking aspects are also interesting to me, thinking how totalitarian regimes maintained their control over the monolithic broadcast mediums, on wonders how anyone can cut or block these communication ties without damaging themselves.

Of course the fear is another Tienanmen Square - China is the one totalitarian regime that seems to have mastered these things at the moment, though one wonders about her growing youth culture that has come of age in a much more materialistic society than their parents. The world is changing, and I hope it works out okay.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Alex

I think Colbert did a good job demonstrating why, while it is good for the people of Iran to insist they get to pick their leadership, there isn't much to be happy about in the person they're currently insisting on.

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Here's the clip Alex is referring to

I still think it's important. Snips from Wikipedia:

He has stated that his main goals are: to institutionalize social justice, equality and fairness, freedom of expression, to root out corruption and to speed up Iran's stagnant process of privatization and thus move Iran away from what he calls "an alms-based economy".

Mousavi has on numerous occasions indicated his wish to change the constitution in order to remove the existing ban on the private ownership of television stations (currently all Iranian television stations are state-owned), as well as transfer the control of the law-enforcement forces to the President (so that they represent the people, since the people directly elect the President through popular vote) from the Supreme Leader. He has said that "the issue of non-compliance with the Iranian rules and regulations is the biggest problem that the country is currently faced with" and that he wishes to put in place ways to enforce the laws further, and that it is also important to bring an end to keeping people in the dark about government matters.

He has also vowed to review laws that discriminate against women in Iran if he wins the upcoming election. He has stated that he would seek to disband the so called morality police force of Iran and make sure that women in Iran are treated equally, have the ability to attain financial empowerment and highest levels of decision making bodies.

His other notable assertion was calling Ahmadinejad's attitude of the Holocaust ("a myth") wrong. Mousavi condemned the killing of Jews in the Holocaust, a much different stance than Ahmadinejad.

I don't think you can change Iran overnight. If you get things like freedom of information, freedom of expression and even slight governmental transparency truly going, it can cause all kinds of other things to fall.

Oh, and recognizing the Holocaust? That's pretty f'n amazing right there.