A Small World After All?

Ethan Zuckerman at The Wilson Quarterly comments on how people’s minds are still insular despite the growing connectivity of the Internet. Using examples from the Islamic Revolution to the Arab Spring, Zuckerman explores this paradox—that even with more information, we may not understand the mysteries of current events any better. “The Islamic Revolution was a surprise because it had taken root in mosques and homes, not palaces or barracks,” Zuckerman writes. “The calls to resist the shah weren’t broadcast on state media but transmitted via handmade leaflets and audiocassettes of speeches by Ayatollah Khomeini.” 

Read at The Wilson Quarterly

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