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Perhaps Ahmadinejad won’t roll back the reformists’ gains in social and political freedom—he’ll just freeze the situation as it is. Or maybe he’ll clamp down on political freedoms, which affect activists far more than they do ordinary people, but either leave social freedoms alone or tighten the screws on them very slowly. The final possibility, which isn’t incompatible with the first two, is that even if Ahmadinejad tries to roll back the reforms, Khamenei, who is more pragmatic than he is, will stop him.

This article is so out of touch with at least two essential aspects of the current situation with respect to Iran. This author misses the fundamental pricipals of freedom when she says only dissidents, not the average Iranian will be subjected to a worsening social atmosphere. Dissidents ARE the barometer for freedom and social normalcy! Also the situation on the ground in Iran represents a shifting of authority to those most responsible for the worst atrocities in Iran. It's as though this journalist, trapped in an ignorant bubble, never considered anything beyond her ephemeral experience. This is sad reporting and this is terrible journalism... I find it necessary to right the wrongs commited here with but a sample of what the “pragmatic” Khamenei is ordering done!

Freed Iran hostages tell of 'mental torture', 11 Nov 2005 - Press Association: A Welsh author and her husband held without charge for 13 days by Iranian authorities said today they were subjected to “mental torture”.
Tattoos out for basketball players in Iran, 8 Nov 2005 - AFP: The Iranian basketball federation has banned its players from having tattoos like many of their foreign counterparts, the student-run news agency ISNA reported Tuesday.
Iran sacks diplomats in purge of reformers, 2 Nov 2005 - The Times: The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has ordered an unprecedented purge of senior ambassadors who are regarded as too liberal for the policies of his administration, The Times can disclose.
More than 290 political protests in Iran in past month, 1 Nov 2005 - Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, Nov. 01 – Over 290 recorded demonstrations, sit-ins, and strikes took place in various towns and cities across Iran over the past month.
Council of Muslims condemns Iranian threats, 31 Oct 2005 - DPA: The Central Council of Muslims in Germany has condemned the call by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the destruction of Israel.
Beginning of the end for Iranian president's honeymoon period, 26 Oct 2005 - Financial Times: Complaints about rising chicken prices during the holy month of Ramadan mark the first widespread disquiet about president Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, just two months after he became Iran's president.
Iran bans foreign films deemed 'feminist' or pro-US, 20 Oct 2005 - AFP: Iran's Islamic regime has slapped a ban on foreign films deemed to be "feminist", "secular" or pro-American, with hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also pushing his vision of a Koranic society.
Iran jails dissident student leader, 26 Sep 2005 - AFP: Iranian dissident student leader Ali Afshari has been sentenced to six years in jail for "attacking national security", a source close to him said Monday.
Banned art in a show of revolt against mullahs, 25 Sep 2005 - The Sunday Times: A collection of art including works by Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec and Andy Warhol has gone on show in Tehran, more than a quarter of a century after Iran’s religious leaders banished it to a museum basement as immoral and “anti-Islamic”.
Ahmadinejad Fills Cabinet With Hard-Liners, 14 Aug 2005 - AP: Iran's new president named a government Sunday replete with hard-liners in key ministries, nominations seen as likely to insure more confrontation with the West over the country's nuclear program. None of the 21 ministers in President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's proposed Cabinet are known to back democratic reforms. They are seen as followers of Iran's conservative supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters.