Outposts of Tyranny

The latest installment of North Korea's inferiority complex reminded me of George W. Bush's infamous 2002 branding of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea as the 'Axis of Evil.' It also reminded me of John Bolton's contribution to diplomacy when he labeled Cuba, Libya, and Syria 'Beyond the Axis of Evil,' as well as Condoleezza Rice's 2005 tagging of Belarus, Zimbabwe, and Myanmar as 'Outposts of Tyranny.'

Countries are a lot more than their heads of state. History, culture, tradition, and most importantly, citizens should define a country. However, as the saying goes, 'If you don't define yourself, someone else will.' In the case of, say, North Korea or Libya, it's difficult for the general population to define themselves when the government controls the media and communications so that the rest of the world only hears about Kim's warmongering or al-Gaddafi's latest antics.

What interests me here is the potential for online communication and social media to help reshape the international image of unstable and even failed states, from the ground up. One of the most recent and notable examples is footage of the 2009 death of Iranian student and protester Neda Agha-Soltan, which proved to be an international rallying point for the anti-Ahmadinejad movement. This is of course a brutal and tragic example, and Ahmadinejad was ultimately 'reelected,' but it nevertheless highlights the potential strength of viral campaigns and movements.

When the international community paints with too broad a brush, the true essence of a country is often blurred beyond recognition. My hope is that oppressed peoples around the world will eventually find ways to get beyond government control of multimedia and communications and tell their stories.