Shira Mitchell's weblog

In the US, making fun of politicians is as American as baseball or fireworks on the 4th of July. Saturday Night Live has been racking up ratings and laughs at politicians’ expense for decades and now the Internet provides us with even more material as it captures politicians acting less than stately and proper. This tradition does not exist in France, but, to the chagrin of French statesmen, that is changing thanks to the Internet.

For some time France’s political elite have enjoyed a level of sacrosanctity in the press that would make any US politician envious and it’s become clear that they do not receive criticism well. Soon after one middle-age woman wrote “oh, the liar” under a video clip of an interview with Nadine Morano, France’s secretary of state for the family, she became the center of a police investigation and lawsuit. Apparently, Ms. Morano saw the comment and became so offended that she subpoenaed the woman’s IP address, obtained her identity and brought suit against her for “public insult toward a member of the ministry,” an offense punishable by a fine of up to $18,000.

If you think that’s ridiculous, wait until you watch this video of an inebriated Ms. Morano dancing to a Black Eyed Peas song with younger male supporters.

Posted by Shira Mitchell at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Israel has never been in a position to win any popularity contests in the International Community, but the Jewish state is hoping to make more friends using new media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. The Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that the IDF has begun recruiting computer specialists for a new media unit that is expected to be up and running in a few months. The stated purpose of the new unit is to reach “mainly an international audience that is less exposed to [the IDF’s] operational processes.”

I’d be interested in how the IDF plans to measure the success or failure of the new unit. Nonetheless, I think this is an intelligent move by the IDF—showcasing the nuances of a much demonized institution may shift some perceptions.

Posted by Shira Mitchell at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Iran’s crackdown on dissidents has gone global. Thanks to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, the Revolutionary Guard has been tracking the activity of Iranians around the world. Interviews with about 90 Iranians living abroad indicated that many who criticize the Iranian regime in public or online have received threats intended to silence them.

One Iranian-American received an email warning him that his relatives living in Tehran would be harmed if he didn’t stop criticizing the Iranian regime on Facebook. Soon after, security agents arrested his father in his Tehran home.

Furthermore, in an effort to limit communication between Iranians living abroad and their families, the government slowed Internet speeds so that accessing an email account could take roughly 30 minutes. All this comes on the heels of Tehran’s creation of a 12-member unit within the armed forces dedicated to tracking individuals on the Internet who “spread lies and insults” about the regime.

Posted by Shira Mitchell at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)