Well, now here's a bit of wild, wooly, and awesome news.
After the Tunisian revolt of two weeks ago, a member of the Pirate Party has been appointed as a Minister of Sports and Youth. (Minister, Deputy Minister, apparently the details remain a bit cloudy.) The Pirate Party is a political party that exists in many countries, which supports free speech and net neutrality, and resists intellectual property rights (hence the name; they are associated with online piracy). Members of the Pirate Party are often outspoken online, and activists online and sometimes in real life as well. This particular fellow, Slim Amamou, is a well-known blogger for the cause from the region.
That's a pretty gutsy move to make even for a stable government that's used to free expression. For Tunisia, it's remarkable.
Another point on this is Slim Amamou's youth, which comes into play in two ways. First, much of the unrest throughout the Middle East arises among young men and women, who can't find decent jobs, find their opinions repressed, and are often prohibited by government policies from fully partaking in the global society that is the birthright of their age. Second, many young people in their 20s and 30s feel, around the world, a great divide between themselves and the older generations, who they feel are disconnected and do not understand the new world as it is shaping up nor the concerns that are relevant to these times. Slim Amamou is a rare example of an active representative of that age group in an official position.
Pretty interesting stuff!
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