• Purple People Vote Iran Focus

    As the main stream media's focus drifts away from Iran, the internet has become the predominant source for news out of Iran. As this is still an active story, PurplePeopleVote.com will be focusing on events and news stories coming out of Iran. This is a major news story, as well as historic event. We hope that individuals will press media outlets to cover these events, and not let the stories of those who are peacefully fighting for their freedom be forgotten just because information is becoming more difficult to gather.

    Purple People are those of us who are neither Republican Red nor Democrat Blue; we find ourselves in between. The internet often represents those on the far left or the far right; this site is for those of us in the middle, or looking for a centrist's perspective.

    Since there are a variety of non-conformists that consider themselves Independents, here's a clarification. The point of view of this blog is basically Realist/Libertarian light...

    -Pro Small Government, bureaucracies tend to be wasteful and inefficient.

    -Government should not be the morality police.

    -Less waste, lower taxes. Taxes are okay if spent wisely. Roads and schools need funding. Be smart with my money and I won't complain.

    -Government shouldn't babysit adults. Help kids and assist people who have serious problems, but stop trying to protect everyone from themselves.

    -Foreign policy should be conducted by people with brains and experience. Think, don't be reckless and don't be politically motivated. Remember that the U.S. is not the only country in the world.

    -Tone down the rhetoric and remember your manners. Play nicely and don't belittle people who disagree with you.

    Moderates Welcomed

  • Archives

  • Pages

Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism

One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’  Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication.  Would be protesters become isolated.  Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power.

Yet now there is Twitter, other social networks, and the internet at large.  It’s wise for Tweeters and others to understand that the deck is still stacked against those protesting the election.  The Iranian government still controls the media, and in a textbook totalitarian move they have banned foreign press.  While members of the Twitter community have set up proxy servers for people in Iran to use, the government has shut down known internet connections, which means that in all likelihood a large majority of Iranians are only hearing the official government version of events.

Yet protests continue and news spreads in large part due to Twitter and the internet.  This is not something past totalitarian regimes have had to deal with.  There are enough Iranians using Twitter (or other forms of communication) to organize that protests continue.  The government has not been able to implement complete control.  Hopefully those watching, participating, and following #iranelection on Twitter recognize that there is a definite possibility that this ends very badly as totalitarian regimes are also brutal.  The reality is that what results from this is wholly a guess, but it changes the playing field and gives voice to those who previously had none.  Person to person communication tools change the dynamic shifting, at least some of the power to the people, and puts a crack in structure of totalitarianism.

tienneman

ter copy

4 Responses

  1. [...] Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism [...]

  2. [...] Serangkaian tulisan di purplepeoplevote.com (15 dan 17 Juni 2009), yaitu: Following Iran Elections on Twitter – A Lesson in Freedom and Technology, American’s Practical Support of A Free Iran, Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and [...]

  3. [...] Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power. [...]

  4. [...] Twitter Changing the Playing Field In Iran and For Totalitarianism One of my first thoughts on seeing Twitter being used by Iranians following their elections was, ‘Imagine if they had Twitter during Tienanmen Square.’ Totalitarian regimes historically thrive, in large measure, by controlling the media and modes of communication. Would be protesters become isolated. Government propaganda simply spins any protest or event into something that reflects well on the regime in power. [...]

Leave a Reply