The political turmoil in Iran has brought new meaning to the maxim, "All politics is local." In the age of disappearing distances, the fallout from rigged vote-counting in Tehran, Shiraz or Esfahan presents local challenges and opportunities to politicians in Fort Wayne, Beirut or Tel Aviv. Just as authorities in Tehran prove incapable of stopping the flow of information out of the country, the impact of Iran's post-election crisis has also spilled across its borders, becoming an event with domestic repercussions around the globe.
In the West, the crisis in Iran has created a platform on which politicians can stand up for human rights and freedom. In countries ruled by autocratic regimes, the disturbances evoke the specter of potential unrest at home, creating nervousness even in countries that view the Islamic Republic as a threat. In places where Iranian influence is already a fact of life, the scenes coming from Tehran's streets suddenly evoke the possibility that local politics could, indeed, experience a transformation as a result. ...
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