Iran linkorama
Note: I posted this yesterday because the uprising in Iran is continuing, alongside a ferocious and desperate crackdown on it by the government - and yet te mainstream media in the West seems to have absolutely no interest. While some attention is paying paid to Iran's nuclear ambitions, the struggle for democracy seems to be yesterday's news. We need to continue to show our solidarity with the people in Iran. A couple of links added near the bottom.
Iran Solidarity
News from the struggles in Iran
LabourStart;
Euston Manifesto
Alliance for Workers Liberty/Campaign for Peace and Democracy
Entdinglichung
And, while we're here, a voice from the other side: more disgusting regime apologetics from our old friend Mehdi Hasan. Oh, and here's the probably clinically insane uber-contrarian Slavoj Zizek arguing that we should give Iran's nukes a chance (via Petra).
And here's one more. You thought that CND was about nuclear disarmanement? As in unilateral? As in no more nuclear weapons? Well, no, its chair, Kate Hudson, is in favour of nuclear weapons actually! Well, if they're Iranian... Here she is, from 2006, interviewed by the supposedly anti-Stalinist SWP (via Champagne Charlie).
Iran Solidarity
News from the struggles in Iran
LabourStart;
- Crepe Naz workers go on strike 2009-09-29 [IWSN]
- Deteriorating eye sight prompts fresh concern for the fate Iranian trade union leader, says Unite 2009-09-29 [Unite the Union]
- Sugar workers' union leaders facing lengthy prison terms: Act Now! 2009-09-25 [TUC]
- Trade unionists at Stand for Freedom in Iran rally at United Nations 2009-09-24 [Jewish Labor Committee]
- Tehran University Students Stop Ahmadinejad
- American Students Meet and Dine with Ahmadinejad
- An Objective Comparison
- Video of Neda's Killer
- Deputy Guidance Minsiter Booed and Jeered
- The Importance of Confidence in Bringing Change
- The Start of the Sacred Defence Week
- Ardeshir Ommani and Comprador Bourgeoisie
- Anne Applebaum on Iran
- Sharif University, Tehran Protests, Sep 29
- Mousavi's 13th Statement: Violence is not the solution
- Student Protest, Sharif University,Tehran, Sep. 29
- Arash Sobhani Sings Sar Omad Zemestoon
Euston Manifesto
Alliance for Workers Liberty/Campaign for Peace and Democracy
Entdinglichung
And, while we're here, a voice from the other side: more disgusting regime apologetics from our old friend Mehdi Hasan. Oh, and here's the probably clinically insane uber-contrarian Slavoj Zizek arguing that we should give Iran's nukes a chance (via Petra).
And here's one more. You thought that CND was about nuclear disarmanement? As in unilateral? As in no more nuclear weapons? Well, no, its chair, Kate Hudson, is in favour of nuclear weapons actually! Well, if they're Iranian... Here she is, from 2006, interviewed by the supposedly anti-Stalinist SWP (via Champagne Charlie).
Comments
i was thinking exactly the same thing yesterday about the absolute indifference of the left/blogosphere AND mainstream media to the 157 people murdered in Guinea yesterday as a result of troop crackdown on ongoing opposition presidential demonstrations, not to mention the use of rape and sexual assualt by govt troops employed as a tactic against female protestor, plus many more people injured, detained and arrested as a result of a peaceful demonstration
the wrong type of vibrant?
I'm not sure I approve of the Meanwhile at the Bar contrast to Iran, as (obviously) I think the Iranian revolution is becoming under-reported now it's past its fashionable moment. But certainly the left seems fixated on the Middle East and has absolutely no interest in Africa. In Congo, people are dying at the rate of 45,000 per month, and the death toll during the spike in the conflict there that coincided with the Gaza war far exceeded that.
Apologies for the poor spelling of the intro I added this morning - will correct! And I'm adding a couple of links too.
it was me who wrote that post on MATB - as far as the contrast is concerned I don't think it's that unreasonable. If you compare the coverage (mainstream, lefty, blogosphere) of what happened in Iran in the first few days of the protests with the coverage in Guinea in the last few days there's an enormous difference (and this difference will if anything continue to grow) - but the underlying situations are not a million miles apart and don't seem to justify the huge differential in both coverage and concern/support/solidarity from those who are inclined to do so for similar situations in other (more fashionable) locations:-
- opposition movement dissatisfied with presidential shenanigans tries to assert themselves against an undemocratic regime through mass protest
- violent & murderous reactions from authorities to that opposition resulting in many deaths injuries, detainees and disappeared
- protestors vowing to continue their defiance in spite of massive state repression
- both areas rich in natural resources
I agree that there's only a certain amount of time/resource that people/groups can give to things and it would be impossible to cover every injustice in the world equally and at a level comensurate to its severity - however this time/resource constraint doesn't explain why some situations receive massive (relative) coverage, from mainstream and fringe, and others precious little
you hit the nail on the head though with the use of the word fasionable - some attrocities/uprisings/ruptures are fashionable others aren't - i'm interested in why this is the case - i can understand why this is so in terms of mainstream media reporting, but it's much harder to explain why this is the case from other sources, be they new/fringe media or old lefties.
Even here in Dubai, with Iran at our door step, we haven't heard much in the news lately about the demos, so have they stopped demonstrating or stopped reporting?