One of the most widely-reported world news stories over the past several days concerns the uprising in Tunisia. If you have not heard about the Tunisian uprising, I have a found a couple videos that’ll provide you some background information about why it is taking place: Link 1 Link 2
In Bible prophecy terms, the uprising in Tunisia is an event that is consistent with what we should see as the seventieth week of Daniel approaches (the seven year period that most people refer to as the “tribulation”) which is an increase in commotions/political instability (Luke 21:9). However, I believe the Tunisian uprising is more meaningful than just a simple uprising... I believe one aspect of the Tunisian uprising may show us how revolutions of the future might be facilitated.
The uprising in Tunisia is striking because it has not been directed by a single leader, which makes this uprising a rather unique one since uprising/revolutions are usually led by a leader. Instead, there were many Tunisians who collectively rose up against their oppressive regime with help of social media to get the word out. Many news websites report that social media websites like Facebook and Twitter played an important role in helping news and information about the status and nature of the uprising spread throughout the country and around the world.
- The role that social media played in the uprising in Tunisia may be relevant in understanding what might take place elsewhere in the future…
In late 2009 I read a report issued by the U.S. Army War College’s Strategic Studies Institute from the Year 2000 about the potential role that the information revolution (the rapidly increasing ability for people to obtain and send information cheaply) could play in facilitating future conflict. The report stated the following about the role the information revolution could play in promoting stability or promoting instability:
“The information revolution is both a force for stability and for instability. On the positive side, it complicates the task of old-style repression and facilitates the development of grass roots civil society. But the information revolution also allows organizations intent on instability or violence to form alliances, thus making the world more dangerous”.[1]
The leaderless uprising in Tunisia suggests that the information revolution has evolved (with the rise of social media websites, which enable people to quickly send and receive information at virtually no cost) to a point where it is finally a force that can play a role in promoting stability and instability.
- I think it is far likelier that we'll see social media be used as a tool to promote political instability than promote political stability in the coming years. If the global economic and financial system breaks down as I suspect it will based on how poor of fiscal shape many countries are in, I expect people around the world will utilize social media websites as an important tool to organize protests and opposition groups to promote change in the way their government functions.
- The Tunisian case may be a forerunner of the instability that is going to come…
Arabic leaders and the media are closely watching for signs that the unrest is spreading to other countries.
- A report on Monday suggested that men in Egypt, and Mauritania, Algeria have set themselves on fire as a way to protest their displeasure with their respective governments (the Tunisian uprising was helped inspired by a Tunisian youth setting themselves on fire).
I don’t know if uprisings will spread throughout the Arab world like uprisings spread throughout Central and Eastern Europe following the end of Communism in Poland in 1989. However, I am confident that there is going to be a lot of political instability in the future and that the Internet/social media will play a role in facilitating this instability by helping people who oppose their regimes to quickly spread information about rising dissent like people did in Tunisia.
Reference
[1] Metz, Steven. Armed Conflict in the 21st Century: The Information Revolution and Post-Modern Warfare. Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, Apr. 2000
