[Iranian Monitor]

Originally Posted by Alan S

Indeed... perhaps you need to consider that the election results are a Big Lie. In a society that closes down newspapers where are the checks and balances in the system to verify anything said by those in power?




So, are you saying that people motivated enough to attend huge rallies like this don't bother to vote? That crowd is clearly for Mousavi.




Please post that picture, I'd like to get a straight comparison.

1- There was a poll taken by "Terror Free Tomorrow" which fits what happened in this election.

2- Here is a pictures from Ahmadinejad's visit to Isfahan a couple of weeks before the election, in the same place:

[Iranian Monitor]

Originally Posted by Txtriathlete

That's like claiming that McCain won all Chicago counties in the last presidential election.
IM, your posts are very reasonable and offer a good view when opposing a side (up until now), this however, is below you.
People going to the streets doesnt do much? holding the government accountable is part of democracy! How can you claim open elections and speak of freedom in Iran when you oppose issues like this?
Like I said, the other candidates should stand up, and Moussavi is no Khatami, he has serious backing and has a much more impressive resume (Khomeini) than anyone around. He can and should stand up.

Going to the streets can sometimes lead to making a society more open and more democratic. And sometimes it can lead a society to become more closed and less democratic. I believe the latter is more likely than the former in this case and this juncture. Especially since those will be demonstrating can be viewed as a disgruntled minority who can't accept an election defeat.

[Mani]

YouTube

YouTube

[Txtriathlete]

Originally Posted by Iranian Monitor

Going to the streets can sometimes lead to making a society more open and more democratic. And sometimes it can lead a society to become more closed and less democratic. I believe the latter is more likely than the former in this case and this juncture. Especially since those will be demonstrating can be viewed as a disgruntled minority who can't accept an election defeat.

Rather ironic, since that's how the same crowd that brought about the 1979 revolution could have been viewed at the time.

[Mani]

[Iranian Monitor]

Originally Posted by Txtriathlete

Rather ironic, since that's how the same crowd that brought about the 1979 revolution could have been viewed at the time.

First, I am not much in favor of violent revolutions. I was too young to have played any role in what happened in Iran in 1978-79, except that my family did leave the country during the turmoil of that period.

Second, there is a huge difference between the two situations. In 1978-79, rightly or wrongly, the people were largely united behind the movement to oust the Shah from power. We don't have that today at all. No one can deny that Ahmadinejad has a huge enough following with millions of supporters, the kind that are more than willing to take to the streets as well. At best, even if you give the benefit of the doubt to the other side (reformists et al), they have something like an equal following among the population compared to Ahmadinejad. However, the regime has the security aparatus behind it as well, which means a confrontation between the two groups is merely a recipe for disaster for the group which neither has more numbers nor any troops, throwing the country into chaos and ending with a result that will leave Iran less free not more.

That is my view. Iran's road to positive change, which is not always synonymous with the changes advocated by reformists or opposition groups, is a long one and I don't see short cuts on that road. Nor do I see Ahmadinejad even a real hindrance to it but often the reverse. That is, of course, merely my view and others are entitled to their's.

[Mani]

The crowds are getting bigger and bigger:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref...0293295&ref=nf

[Knave]

Another video -

YouTube - Iran election. Riot in tehran streets after election day - 13/06/09

YouTube - Iran election. Riot in tehran streets after election day - 13/06/09

[Mani]

Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi try to rescue a riot policeman (C) after he was beaten by demonstrators during a protest in Valiasr Street in Tehran on June 13, 2009.

[Mani]

Supporters of Mir Hossein Mousavi burn a police motorcylce during a protest in Valiasr Street in Tehran on June 13, 2009.







P.s I just got a notice from Mousavi`s campaign page that Facebook has been filtered again in Iran.