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Annotated Bibliography

Web 2.0s Involvement in the Arab Spring

Ben Cole Professor Malcolm Campbell English 1102 April 28, 2012

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Annotated Bibliography Arab Spring." Global Issues in Context. GIC, Jan.-Feb. 2012. Web. <http://find.galegroup.com/gic/docRetrieve.do? searchPageType=BasicSearchForm&inPS=true&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=gale&doc Id=CP3208520388>.

This article starts of by explaining the origin of the name The Arab Spring and how it relates back to Operation Desert Storm. It then goes on to point out that it was three major factors that led to the recent Arab Spring and those are; economic situations, demographic patterns, and the more obvious recent social and political powers. We see that there has lately been an age demographic shift, and that is that the population is vastly younger as well as smarter and technologically more experienced. But still unemployment was rapid and the state was in a constant state of emergency which took away peoples personal rights. It then tells a timeline of how Tunisia began its outcall for freedom beginning with the story of a local merchant setting himself on fire out of pure anxiety from being forcibly harassed by the local police. Tis would soon build a protest that would become a successful revolution. Egypt would soon follow after it heard of this success. It then goes into great lengthened details about Cairo and the eventual later countries that would soon try and rebel, this is very informative to me because it covers the whole backdrop of the Arab Spring. This is a very well heard of source in the political science world and covers all of its topic extensively validating why I chose it.

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Muravchik, Joshua. "Neoconservatives and the Arab Spring." Neoconservatives and the Arab Spring Commentary 132.2 (2011): 28-35. Print.

This excerpt questions whether it is such a good thing that countries in North Africa and the Middle east get to where they have democratic governments. It then goes on to say that Bushs plan to battle racial rgimes in the Middle East and spread freedom is not that great of an idea and is viewed as very nave. It then follows on to state that if that plan wont work there are others that they could try to unify with. Showing theories why countries may take the revolutions and use them for ant-Israel and anti-Muslim causes, bringing up the fact that rebellions have brought up violent political leaders that killed a lot of people to reach there station of power. Muravchik then points out who are trying to take over and more threatening what country is trying to take advantage. The article then continues for a long time on the factions who are fighting for control after the previous dictator is pushed out and it becomes a toss-up of power. and their methods for doing it. Muravchik goes on this for a while then it starts to talk about the Muslims Brotherhood Freedom and Justices Party website. We then see that not only did the revolutionaries use web 2.0 but the groups that are trying to rule did so as well. This is helpful to me because not only did web 2.0 help spark all this but its also helping a future dictator possibly control again. Putting a spill on my thesis that social media could possibly be the new form of government. I found that the author was a well-educated and published source and is still heavily involved in the Political field weather its teaching classes or aiding senators.

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Schillinger, Raymond. "Social Media and the Arab Spring: What Have We Learned?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 20 Sept. 2011. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raymond-schillinger/arab-spring-socialmedia_b_970165.html>.

Schillinger begins with an overview of what happened in Egypt that follows the same premises that all the others that cover it converse. Then Schillinger goes into detail about the history of Facebook and tweeter. Saying how it was an outlet for celebrity gossip and how it got to toppling rgimes in such a short time. This is very important to me because I plan to cover it in my paper. Then it describes how social media is effecting huge things that we havent even noticed yet like; how the nature of events on the web, how its reshaping our everything from our alphabets too even how we listen and what dialects we use. The term a double edged sword is used to describe the internet now because it may topple some leaders but its helping other dictators ensnare there people. The article concludes with a paragraph on how the State Department is adapting and using the social media. Which is how I plan to tie all this back to SOPA and PIPA, and it goes without saying that the Huffington Post is a very renowned and established periodical.

Taylor, Kate. "Arab Spring Really Was Social Media Revolution | TG Daily." TG Daily. Web. 29 Feb. 2012.

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<http://www.tgdaily.com/software-features/58426-arab-spring-really-was-social-mediarevolution>.

The latest research has shown that the chain of events known as Arab Spring was caused by social media. It states that tweets of support for those who were protesting in Cairo specifically went up by the thousands. Facebook and other social media sites dramatically increased in the topic of politics as now a possible key tool in maintaining the balance of a country. Viral videos having to do with the political situations around the Persian Gulf also started to bring in millions of viewers. Not only did tweets in Egypt go up but so did tweets in neighboring counties. This shows that the social media bug was running rampad through the whole region. And the rest of the world was using this as there eyeglass to see inside of the revolution of a supposed peaceful protest. The piece concludes with the information that the more that government cracks down on social media the more they become common, like all things that are turned into forbidden fruit become and exceedingly desirable. But in all seriousness political factions and idealist groups all over the world are beginning to see the benefits of the social media especially in the fight for their cause. This will be very helpful for my paper in every way, from stats about Cairo and Egypt to back on the home front dealing with SOPA and PIPA. The author Kat Taylor is a very mathematical author so she was very easy to follow and her stats are going to be very helpful.