Dominos

If you read The New York Times or keep up with any major news source, you are well aware of the widespread North African unrest, strife, and revolution.

When I think about the North African unrest I draw a parallel between a scene in V For Vendetta and the domino effect of revolution in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya. In this particular scene V sets up a massive domino line and tips the outlying domino and watches as they all fall.

How does “The Domino Effect” affect current politics? The Kennedy administration used this title to describe the spread of communism is Eastern Asia in the countries of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Is what’s happening in Africa a domino effect as well?

Did Tunisia realize that their stand against injustice would spark a revolution across almost half a continent?

What was different about the North African conflicts was that social networking was used as the medium of revolution. Social networks and the rhetoric of the free media pushed over that outlying domino. Tunisian and Egyptian youth Tweeting and Facebooking about the events taking place in their own country sparked movements in the hearts and minds of citizens of other African countries and inspired people to join the greater movement.