Clinton Makes Plea for Cyber-freedom. Well at least it is a Start

After pretty much abandoning the Green Movement in Iran to its fate the White House is finally stepping up for the dissident and his right to Cyber-freedom.

In an impassioned speech on Internet freedom, Clinton said the administration would spend $25 million this year on initiatives designed to protect bloggers and help them get around curbs like the Great Firewall of China, the gagging of social media sites in Iran, Cuba, Syria, Vietnam and Myanmar as well as Egypt's recent unsuccessful attempt to thwart anti-government protests by simply pulling the plug on online communication.

I guess Obama finally understands that these Freedom Movements are an opportunity for the US instead of some nefarious plot to keep him from meeting Ahamdinajoke "without preconditions." Maybe someone told him that if Iran goes Democratic like Egypt then the nuclear bomb problems goes away. It will look like he is a winner in foreign affairs instead of a naive dullard.

What was interesting about this whole two step in Egypt and the abandoning of the Green Movement in Iran was that America seems to always be on the wrong side of the argument. If we were in support of the dissidents as a reflex action instead of reluctantly choosing sides after the strongman is on the way out we would have a much better reputation in the world.

The hemming and hawing with supporting the Shah instead of cutting him off as soon as he started massacring his people is what help doom Iran to the Mullacracy. Perhaps the idea that if the dissidents are peaceful and want democratic change then America should try what we can to help them can be known as the "Clinton Doctrine." If these dissidents are jailed or massacred then America will pressure their governments by any means necessary.

I mean France was there for us 228 years ago so America should be there for Myanmar, or Bahrain, or Iran, or whomever. The Era of the Dictator should be moved into the Era of Democracies. That will drain the swamp of terrorism faster then any invasion will ever do. What it does is turn the anger of the people at the Jews or America or whomever right onto their own dictatorial governments who have done way more to rob and disenfranchise them then anyone else.