It seems to be the season for revolutions. Within the past month, we’ve had the Egyptian revolution, which started at the end of January, not to mention the one in Tunisia a few weeks before. Now Libya is in a revolution, and President Barack Obama has already called its head of state Muammar el-Qaddafi to step down. I’m not quite ready to call the Wisconsin Assembly protests a revolution, but the combination of angry masses and mean signs comes pretty close. For revolutions, there has been no better inspiration in the past year than the Tea Party whose tactics has taken U.S. politics by storm.
While many of these revolutions have been very successful so far, there is a lot they can learn from the Tea Party. So here is what you need to start a successful revolution.
1. A good Twitter feed. Every revolution needs a good Twitter feed. Tweets add an essential element of comedy to a revolution. They can get a point across very quickly. How about something like, “This would have never happened under Tut’s watch!” or “Once Qaddafi leaves, I bet TLC will offer him a show: Qaddafi’s Alaska.” Twitter is the ultimate way to get your voice heard, assuming that the Internet is on at all (see Egypt).
2. A good-looking leader – the more attractive the better. Most likely the person you are overthrowing is old and ugly. Take Libya’s head of state (or not head of state at this point, depending on who you ask) Qaddafi. Few people in the world are in more need of a shower and a haircut.
3. Whenever the camera is on you, be ridiculous. A sign with a catchy slogan helps. Signs like “Egypt wants Freedom” or “Democracy Rules” are boring. You can try a play on words like “De-Nile not only a river in Egypt.” There is no better source of inspiration than the Tea Party, who not only questioned Obama’s politics, but also his citizenship and religion. Maybe a sign like “Mubarak was born in Turkey” would work. Or, you can try to compare your oppressor to tyrannical historic figures. An obvious sign could be “el-Qaddafi is Hitler.” Make sure you are ready when the camera is on you.
4. A charismatic news figure sympathetic with your cause. While your friends may be protesting in the streets, everyone else will be tuning into the news to see what has happened. Perhaps a blackboard would help you to draw diagrams about who is involved and how everyone is connected à la Glenn Beck, who can think of a conspiracy behind every current event. Comparisons to historic revolutions and protests can also bolster your cause even if they have little parallel.
Ben Rothschild is a Weinberg senior. He can be reached at [email protected].
