Looking Before Jumping Onboard

If you love freedom, you may feel inclined to “support” the protesters out on the streets in Iran right now. But before you act on that tweet getting you to “support” them, it is important to know who and what you are supporting. Caution and some healthy skepticism would go a long way.

As a blog post by The Atlantic’s political editor, Marc Ambinder warns, factions of Iran’s opposition elites may be manipulating the protesters for their own political ambitions. Where there is a political vacuum, another regime is always looking to take over power.

Even if Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is ousted, there is still the question of who would take his place. There is no guarantee that the main opposition figure would be the one, even if there is an annulment of the elections (which, according to the BBC, has just been apparently ruled out).

Meanwhile, here’s a lowdown on who’s who in this whole Iranian political gridlock, from The Daily Beast. It’s quite basic, but it charts out the players in this charade.