Research Paper Update with Outline

1. My topic is the Arab Spring and the overall task I am trying to accomplish is to find out how revolutions happen, why they work and will they continue to happen (using Tunisia as a case study).

2. The Aljazeera article entitled "How Tunisia's Revolution Began" written by Yasmine Ryan was my most helpful source because it was most directly related to what I wanted to accomplish. It gave me insight into how Tunisia's revolution was started, how it was sustained and how it ended.

3.  Right now I still take the side that revolutions happen because people are unhappy with their leader and feel their basic human rights are being violated, but successful revolutions need resources, publicity and tenacity.

4. Difficult Quote followed by layman's explanation:
"Iran has itself both gained and lost from recent events. higher oil prices, the fall of the staunchly anti-Iranian regime in Egypt and projected reductions in US military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan have all strengthened its hand. These gains are offset at least in part by the weakened status of Iran's close partner Syria - and by signs that Iran's leadership is divided against itself" (Haas).

Iran is in a delicate balance in Middle Eastern relations and just because its government is a "republic" doesn't mean it is immune from to the Arab Spring. Iran gains positively from conflicts in the region because oil production is halted or slowed in countries where conflict occurs therefore there is a higher demand for oil and prices go up. However Iran also loses a bit from the Arab Spring because it's close trade partner and ally Syria, is weaker and in the political battlefield, Iran has one its friends' voices diminished.

-It appears that the type of explaining I have to do will be explaining how the relationships got to where they are and why one move spells disaster for a country and success for another country. People know the names and terms, but not necessarily the prior dynamics and relationships of the Middle East.

5. The "Whoa!" moment for me was realizing that social media really was utilized and that technology really was the medium through which all of this was made possible. It just blew my mind that the thing I text on every day or type on could be used to start a successful revolution. Words are powerful. Ideas are powerful. Unity and tenacity trumps all.