This assignment is due by Monday, April 16 at NOON. No exceptions for late assignments, except by permission of Dr. Williams.
Please read and blog THREE specific observations from Chapters 9 and Epilogue. THREE SPECIFIC observations for EACH chapter. What do you learn about Egypt, social media, and grassroots activism?
Chapter 9:
ReplyDelete-Ghonim describes the Egyptian government views the Egyptian people, "To them, Egyptians were not capable of governing themselves. The government derided peoples lack of political consciousness but forgot that that was specifically the result of it's own policies, which had led to deterioration on every front: economically, politically, and socially...Maintaining the current regime meant maintaining precisely this lack of consciousness."
I found this quote interesting. It's funny because the government is supposed to be leading a country forward and you would think that the people on top would have a relatively good idea of how to do so. But, as Ghonim points out, that is not always (nor often) the case. The result of putting idiots on top is a rebellion, and in this case, it seems like a long time coming. I have a feeling there will be a major rebellion in the U.S. in the near future, as well.
-Despite Mubarak agreeing to an honorable resignation, when he finally addressed the Egyptian people he appeared to have changed his mind. Ghonim says, “He reminded us of his role in war and peace, and of his achievements and history…Mubarak invited everyone to give precedence to Egypt’s interests over everything else. He said he had lived on Egyptian soil and would die on Egyptian soil. Then, during the the final thirty seconds of the speech, Mubarak said he delegated his authority to Vice President Omar Soliman. It was not actually a resignation from power.”
-In response to the Egyptians disappointment, Vice President Omar Soliman announced that Mubarak would in fact resign. Ghonim says, “What was impossible for years had been achieved in 18 days.” How incredible!
Epilogue:
-Ghonim describes the change that took place once Egyptians stood up to Mubarak. He says, “Humanity will always be cursed with power hungry people, and the rule of law and justice will not automatically flourish in all places at all times. But thanks to modern technology, participatory democracy is becoming a reality. Governments are finding it harder and harder to keep their people isolated from one another, to censor information, and to hide corruption and issue propaganda that goes unchallenged.”
Okay, but wait Ghonim: while the internet is making it much easier for people to join together in order to instigate change, the internet is also a tool that the governments can use to create propogranda and hide things easier, as Kony 2012 exemplifies. The internet is absolutely becoming an incredible tool to create change but I think it’s important to also notice the ways in which the government can use the web to manipulate our opinions as well. Also, Ghonim works for Google which is kind of sketch.
-Ghonim states that the Egyptian revolution proved "that the great mass of people who are normally risk-averse, aren't normally activists, can become extraordinarily brave and active when they unite together as one."
-Ghonim hopes that in the future he will be able to contribute to enhancing Egypt's educational system and provide access to technology to as many Egyptians as possible. He probably also hopes to make a few millions off of this book. But he's not the hero!
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete- The Egyptian media portrayed the revolution very negatively. Rumors and lies were being spread about the protestors, and some comments on the "Kullena Khaled Said" and elsewhere labeled Ghonim as "an agent of the United States and Israel."
- Ghonim cried on television during an interview, and many people messaged him with words of support afterward. He states that some people who had opposed the revolution up until they saw the interview. I think that when people see tears on television or in any other form of media, that can be the most persuasive tactic that humans possess.
- It seems, by the way Ghonim phrases this passage, that Mubarak had been open to the idea of stepping down, but that "others around him argued against such an act because they feared for their own interests." I don't know if Ghonim is speaking from "factual" knowledge or opinion, but that seems like a very realistic situation, and I feel that such situations arise in politics more than the people know - in all countries.
- Ghonim states, "I was not after fame for myself" twice in the same paragraph. This makes me wonder why he needed to say it twice, and even through the editing process of the book this was not cut out. Had he just stated it once, I wouldn't be suspicious of his motives.
Epilogue
- Ghonim states, "thanks to modern technology, participatory democracy is becoming a reality." The revolution in Egypt certainly is a good example of this being true, but I never thought of technology influencing democracy.
- Ghonim finally makes the title of the book understandable - he says that revolutions in the past have had charismatic leaders who were politically knowledgable, and this was the "Revoltion 1.0 model," making the revolution in Egypt the 2.0 model: where everyone is the hero.
- I think it is important that at the end of the epilogue Ghonim notes that this book is a personal memoir and not a historical account. This statement makes him more credible because an accurate history of anything cannot possibly be written by just one person.
Chapter 9
ReplyDeleteIt's no surprise that the government, it's mortality being shoved in it's face, attempted defacing the movement by spreading rumors and lies throughout it. Spreading propaganda about Zionism and how Ghonim is an agent of the West are classic tactics of a desperate Middle Eastern government. Too bad for them, it didn't work.
When Mubarak stepped down, he did it in such a little kiddish way. Saying how good of a leader he was, and how unfair this while situation was for him just showed how unfit a leader he turned out to be. Seriously? Giving power to the Vice President is proof you didn't listen to a word of protest from your own people. Ugh.
After Ghonim was released, he checkout his Facebook, and found that the plans he had laid in the even of his disappearance was in full swing, allowing the digital portion of the revolution to continue. He had also discovered that the number of followers had increased by over 100,000.
Epilogue
Ghonim stresses that the revolution was a process, not an event, and the work in Egypt is far from over. "we are still a long was form a fully-established democracy." He is optimistic that there will never again be another dictator in power, or as he puts it, a 'Pharaoh."
Like Occupy, this revolution has no leader. A leaderless movement is the core of the 'Revolution 2.0 model.' From anonymous comments on the Internet to thousands in the streets, it was truly the will of the people that made this happen.
Putting a dedication to all who sacrificed their lives at the very end was a nice touch. I wonder if this new government will erect a memorial in their honor, or create a holiday, or remember them the next time a 'Pharaoh' decides to poke out from underneath the sand.
CH 9
ReplyDelete-Ghonim had become a public figure in the aftermath of his arrest. His twitter account jumped from 4,000 to 30,000 followers. Knowing this, the government forces took a great deal of time being nice to him and propagandizing him with their side of the story.
-After seeing the faces of the martyrs of the revolution, Ghonim cried on a tv interview. This interview went viral with international news sources like the guardian and CNN picking it up. People began to look at Ghonim as a potential spokesman for the revolution.
-Mubarak had given an emotional speech promising reforms and elections in a few months which won over many people. Ghonim took some time to get the facts on the ground before deciding his position on whether Mubarak should resign immediately or not. After hearing the crowds in Tahrir square and seeing the brutality the regime had taken out on the Egyptian people, Ghonim decided Mubarak had delegitimized himself and ought to step down immediately.
Epilogue
-Ghonim writes about how removing Mubarak was one step in a long journey towards democracy. Ghonim argues that the internet has enabled participatory democracy and made life much harder for dictators.
Chapter 9
ReplyDelete-With media coverage slandering the revolution to little effect, the Egyptian government hoped that befriending Ghonim would convince him to become the voice of reason to end the protests in Tahrir square. Ghonim smartly refused to become part of the government’s propaganda.
-Ghonim gained popularity through his detainment, finding thousands of Facebook messages along with over 30,000 twitter followers after his release. He gave a television interview the day he was released which caused him to become face of the revolution, a role he didn’t want anymore than assisting the government, as the strength of the revolution was its anonymity.
-Mubarak finally stepped down as president but he fought the entire way, even giving several speeches that came close to convincing the public though not the protesters that he should stay in power. Even when he stepped down, he only delegated his authority, the Vice-President had to call for his actual resignation.
Epilogue
-Ghonim points out that Mubarak’s resignation was just the first part of the process to bring real change to Egypt and that more work needs to be done. This is an important point since the military has been in charge since the revolution and protesters again took to Tahrir square just days ago to protest how the new presidential race is being carried out.
-Ghonim states that movements with a main charismatic leader were the model for Revolution 1.0 while internet organized, participatory movements without one defined leader, is revolution 2.0. What remains to be seen is how well this Revolution 2.0 model works in the long term for creating actual change.
-Ghonim’s greatest strength throughout this revolution was his ability to create a space that encouraged previously uninvolved people to become involved. With Occupy using the revolution 2.0 model, I will be interested to see how they continue to function and move forward as a movement.
In chapter 9, Ghonim describes his experience from the time he was released from the state security until Mubarak resigned. Throughout this short period of time the regime and the media made great efforts to deceive the people of Egypt. Governments have always used the media in an attempt to control people and now with the spread of social media, that is often exposed. The regime was using the media to present certain events a certain way and twist the truth- like when Ghonim was invited to speak with the prime minister and the president, but instead they really wanted to take advantage of a photo opportunity and make the Egyptians believe Ghonim had changed his views and was ready to compromise. Because the use of social media was so intense at the time and Ghonim was being followed by so many thousands of people online, he was able to correct this mistake and let his network know his views had not changed. Social media in the case of Egyptian revolution acted as a watchdog and was much more effective in providing the people with honest information than any other source of media. This reminds me to review Kovach and Rosenstiel’s elements of journalism and see just how effective social media was in this case- 1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth…check. 2. Its first loyalty is to citizens…check. 3. Its essence is a discipline of verification…everyone sort of verifies one another actively so check. 4. Journalists must maintain an independence from those they cover…ok maybe not as much. 5. Must serve as an independent monitor of power…CHECK. 6. Must provide a public forum for criticism and compromise…CHECK. 7. Must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant…I don’t know I wasn’t there. 8. Must keep the news comprehensive and proportional..uhh. 9. Practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience…CHECK! Haha ok so it looks like social media definitely took over journalism’s role in Egypt. Kovach and Rosenstiel also suggest that journalism’s purpose is to provide the people with the information they need to self-govern…which is exactly what happened with Ghonim and the Egyptians. Because they were able to communicate freely online, they overthrew a dictator!
ReplyDeleteIn Ghonim’s epilogue, he says “thanks to modern technology, participatory democracy is becoming a reality. Governments are finding it harder and harder to keep their people isolated from one another, to censor information, and to hide corruption and issue propaganda that goes unchallenged.” Yay! Revolution everywhere!