I am worried about the violence in Iran, but I am also worried that the democratic aspirations will be suppressed (via night time arrests of organizers). I wonder if there are any practical lessons that can be learned from other non-violent movements (civil disobedience, nonviolent direct action, Gandhi, King, etc). Rock throwing seems to scare off supporters more that deter the police. How to keep focus on the grievances to majority can agree on: instead of saying 'death to the dictator', say 'a vote for every Iranian'. I keep thinking of satire. The supreme hag, "responsibility? It's a Macedonian plot!" The counsel of experts, "do you have an opinion?" The guardian council, "the election was stolen with 20 million fraudulent votes, but now he has a 100 million vote lead, so it does not matter." Lacky "if the people see us crack down, they may question your leadership." Leader "Then do it like a thief, in the night." Lacky "such divine leadership" ... Humor can help soften positions. It may not help with those grasping power, but may erode their support. I think that the core point is representation. I'm often surprised how myopic politicians can be. I'm sure it annoys Iranian's when western pundits say that Iranian want to be our friends. The US just is not to-die-for popular. I hope someone better qualified can offer more useful advice. sincerly, paul marchertas
