Juan Cole: Tunisia Uprising led by Labor Movements, Internet Activists... It's a Populist Revolution

DemocracyNow.org -
In the wake of the ouster of Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Democracy Now! speaks with University of Michigan History Professor Juan Cole. "This is the first popular revolution since 1979," Cole says. "This revolution was spearheaded by labor movements, internet activists, by rural workers. It's a populist revolution, and not particularly dominated in any way by Islamic themes, it seems to be a largely secular development."

For the video/audio podcast, transcript, to sign up for the daily news digest, and for additional coverage of the Tunisian revolution, visit http://www.DemocracyNow.org.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• tunisia
• tunisian
• uprising
• revolution
• revolt
• activist
• protests
• Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
• democracy now
• amy Goodman
• juan cole

[DiVeronica]

@DirkinNetherlands You can smoke weed in cafes but can't own firearms to defend yourselves. I prefer the right to bear arms and protect myself against intruders and the government if it becomes tyrannical, as they all eventually tend to do.

[DirkinNetherlands]

@grandmachristine42

I lived 30 years in the USA and now 20 years in Europe.

Lots more freedom here., Helloooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[grandmachristine42]

@DirkinNetherlands Yes I have heard rumors of  freedom and lots of choices and aweareness and stuff out there somewhere....helllooooooooooo!

[DirkinNetherlands]

@grandmachristine42

I get 4000 channels on my satellite dish for FREE

[DirkinNetherlands]

I get Al-Jazeera English here in Europe on my satellite. In fact its much more balanced than the zionazi CNN or Fox.

Odd that here in Europe we have total access to much more channels than the USA.

I have CNN blocked on my remote. I only watch France 24, Al-Jaz English and Russia today which is also a 24/7 news channel here.

[XTCMatrix]

Actually I recall watching Al Jazeera on Dish, one of those 8000-9000 channel.

[MustacheVerra]

@Will224000 No you're wrong. I think... I mean it's be great if they did but...

Just reed my last entry if you want to know what this is all about.

[MustacheVerra]

This play right into the neocons/Zionist hands. If they create enough instability in that region, the Zionist will finally have their clash of civilization they were hoping for. A clash which will favor Israel in the end as the US will wipe out all of Israel's enemies etc.. But don't expect these commentator to tell you that!

[Will224000]

...this is just a fore shadowing of events to come when Austerity becomes more deeply rooted here in the US... if people can pull themselves away from 'Dancing with the Stars'...

[grandmachristine42]

I get Al Jazeera in Nashville on Link TV (375) on Direct TV. Costs a million dollars. . .well, $70 a month. . .and the only decent things on there are on the Link TV channel and occasionally morning CSpan but Link TV is GREAT. I was disappointed in Al Jazeera"s coverage of Tunisia, though. Seemed like they were not pleased by it; still, its a much better news show than MSM.