What Americans Can Learn From Tunisia

Yesterday marked the completion of the first national elections in Tunisia since it's independence in 1956 and since the uprising in January that that caused the leak to burst out as Arab Spring. Now Tunisians and many around the world are waiting for the results, which could take days since the turn out was so high.



The most inspiring about this election is not the election itself, but what led to it. People got angry and threw passivity out the window and took action (well, actually it started with one man in his 20s, which caused a domino effect around the Arab world and inspired others on the African continent).

Loosely similar are these Occupy protests happening throughout the US and in many Western nations, again the youth protesting oppression. I know many of these countries are not understand the standard of a dictatorship, but many of the occupiers believe corporations and the wealthy are controlling Western governments like dictators as the average Joe becomes broke Bob.


I'm not suggesting someone should set themselves on fire to show their distaste of corporate bailouts and the wealthiest 1% complaining about the thought of only them being taxed more, but instead they should keep protesting and other should join. Maybe we don't need to go out into the streets, but we all have many talents that can be used as our form of expression. I blog about these things, in hopes to inspire change. You may draw, video, dance - whatever!

It is about time that in United States we become less passive and more active about the issues facing us. We're in a democracy and we should act as such. Tunisia was under an oppressive dictatorship for several decades; we've been in a greedy democracy for just as long and many could argue even longer. Tunisians started a radical change in hopes of improving their lives and we should be doing the same.

The experience in Tunisia tells Americans that even the worse situation could be made better by being active. We're upset with high unemployment and the jobs that are disappearing and we continue to listen to what politicians are saying the cause of it is. I think it's time to seriously educate ourselves on what the cause is so we can move forward.