I throw socks at my television. When I disapprove of something, when most people would just change the channel, I start hurling socks. It isn’t exactly the most productive use of my time, or my socks for that matter, but it gives me a small sense of satisfaction. Lately, however, it hasn’t been working.

One of the many chants heard outside of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s campaign headquarters before the Iranian presidential election was “Doctor boro Doctor,” which means “Go to the doctor, Doctor.” This chant refers to Ahmadinejad as its subject (“Doctor” because he has a PhD in civil engineering), and it suggests that he see a doctor, namely, a psychiatrist, to get his head checked.

Ayatullah Khamenei mentioned the 12th or “hidden” imam, also known as the Mahdi, several times in his speech at Friday’s prayers. After his awkward rant about the Branch Davidians, the mention of the hidden imam was surely the most confusing to many in the so-called West.

As the protests all over Iran continue, many Iranians are beginning to expand their hopes and aims beyond a potential Mousavi presidency. With growing comparisons between the current protests and those that ushered in the Islamic revolution, demonstrators are starting to realize that they too may be able to usher in an entirely new revolution, one that could topple the Islamic Republic and make way for a genuinely free secular democracy.

While Iranians are a highly politically savvy lot, getting them to do more than merely talk politics is a near-herculean task. The combination of cynicism from a revolution gone bad and fear of a potentially oppressive and retaliatory government is an unlikely formula for public displays of political activism.