What happened to the Hope and Change crowd once Iranians took to the streets?
Writing in the Washington Post, Afshin Molavi wants to know what happened to the hope and change crowd once Iranians took to the streets:
One Iranian demonstrator e-mailed me: “Where are the American actors, the writers, the university professors, the intellectuals?” I would add to this patriot’s list: Where are the labor unions, teachers unions, science academies, university students and ordinary Americans from all walks of life who took to U.S. streets last year to back an unlikely presidential candidate whose motto of hope and change is mirrored by Iranians half a world away?
Come on, didn’t the Iranian demonstrator hear? All those folks made their web pages green. And they even took the time to click yes when prompted to join supportive Facebook groups. What does he think this country is – some kind of testament to the enduring fight for freedom and consensual government?
All those Obama supporters are actually replicating their campaign season activism. Remember, Obama’s tidal wave of support was most readily identifiable in virtual form. He won the war of the web above all else. He raised half a billion dollars online and had an email list of 13 million names. We shouldn’t be surprised if mouse-click donors don’t make the best global liberation army.
