90M people. 118 hours of silence. One nation erased from the internet

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived silence and selective outrage

  • Some argue that human-rights NGOs, Western activists, and pro-Palestine protesters have been conspicuously quiet about Iran, implying double standards or selective empathy.
  • Others counter that major NGOs and media did cover events (Amnesty banners, BBC/NYT/WaPo reports) and accuse critics of exaggerating or lying.
  • A big subthread debates why Gaza gets far more protest energy than Iran, Haiti, Congo, Kashmir, etc. Explanations offered:
    • Direct complicity of Western governments in arming/supporting Israel.
    • Memetic dynamics and social media savvy.
    • Foreign or ideological sponsorship of some protest movements.
    • Basic human selectivity: individuals don’t have to be universalist to be sincere.

Sanctions, regime change, and foreign interference

  • Some see US/EU sanctions as directly worsening Iranians’ suffering and as a tool to provoke unrest.
  • Others say authoritarian regimes rarely liberalize in exchange for sanctions relief and instead follow a Tiananmen-style “double down” playbook.
  • Several commenters oppose foreign-imposed regime change, citing Iraq/Libya/Syria, and favor an “organic” transition—though many doubt this is realistic given Iran’s large, battle-hardened security apparatus.
  • There is skepticism about both US/Israeli covert involvement and Iranian state claims that protests are foreign-orchestrated.

Deaths and verification

  • Reported death tolls range widely: 2,000 from official or semi-official Iranian sources up to 12,000 from opposition-linked media.
  • Commenters stress that numbers are unverified; some demand more visual evidence, others point to morgue videos and leaks to Reuters/NYT.
  • Comparisons are made to Tiananmen; some note sudden skepticism about casualty counts versus other conflicts.

Internet blackout and technical angles

  • Shutdown is viewed as a core tool of modern autocracies: block coordination, hide massacres, and reduce international reaction.
  • Discussion explores how Iran might be jamming or locating Starlink terminals (RF detection, GPS jamming, Russian EW support).
  • Technical suggestions include mesh networks, RF comms, and laser/free-space optics; others note any RF can be jammed and users can be physically targeted.
  • Large subthread debates whether “democratic” states already have the capability to shut down the internet, with many arguing law is a weak barrier if “guys with guns” decide otherwise.

What outsiders can do

  • Non-Iranians ask how to help: support regime-change protesters, or only nonviolent, non-foreign-aligned movements?
  • Some propose protest focused on one’s own government’s policies; others suggest symbolic rallies at embassies or simply supporting Iranian colleagues under stress.
  • A recurring tension: desire to “do something” vs fear of fueling another disastrous foreign intervention.

Critique of the article and media framing

  • Several find the linked visualization compelling but the prose “AI-slop” or overly dramatic (“routers screamed”), which they feel cheapens the tragedy.
  • Others defend the focus on connectivity, emphasizing that 118 hours without internet in this context means information blackout during mass killings, not a mere lifestyle inconvenience.
  • Broader complaints emerge about propaganda tones on all sides, US media bias, and old grievances (e.g., 1953 coup) feeding today’s mistrust.