James Governor made a great observation in his del.icio.us feed about how we’re getting spun on Iran. Take a look at this Newsweek photo gallery, Modern Life in Iran. It consists of black and white shots of old women in hijabs, anti-American slogans, and people who look like they face a dreary existence. Our cold-eyed enemies living in despair. Then take a look at the Flickr shots from iranpx. Iranians at picnics. Snowy days in Tehran. Iranians on the ski slopes.
I imagine more people can accept the idea of bombs raining down on the city in the first set of photos than the city in the second set. Exposing these kinds of disconnects is one way that Web 2.0 could really change the world. Yes, Iran has a rotten government that is opposed to the United States and oppresses its own people, but can we really invade a country full of Flickr users and bloggers?