Time Magazine’s Major Articles Summary for Its Issue of 12/26/11-1/2/12

Time Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year – The Protester

The entire issue for this two-week period is devoted to Time Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year – The Protester. When a Tunisian vendor set himself on fire in a public square, his action sparked protests that brought down dictators in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and rattled regimes in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. Mexicans, Greeks, Spanish, Americans and Russians caught the spirit and waged their own particular protests against corrupt government and corporate greed. The idea of democracy was present in every gathering. The protests have marked the rise of a new generation. They are disproportionately young, middle class and educated. In Egypt, 60% of the population is under the age of 25. Their familiarity with social networks did not cause the uprising, but it kept them alive and connected. Revolutionaries are M.B.A.s, physicians, filmmakers, magazine editors, anthropologists, airline pilots, grandmas, shop clerks and dishwashers. The protests began independently without much encouragement or endorsement by political parties or opposition bigwigs. The unending financial crisis and economic stagnation have served to raise the hackles of the protesters, and frustration and anger exploded. They found one another through the Internet. The revolution in Tunisia was a user’s manual on how to topple a regime peacefully. The new generation broke the fear barrier. They did not run away. The grievance package is familiar world-wide: good jobs too scarce, cost of living too high, politicians corrupt, only the well-connected rich getting richer. Anger about poverty, unemployment and inequality is the motivator for protests throughout the world. It was David Graeber, a prominent 50-year-old anthropologist who coined the slogan “We are the 99%.” In New York City, the protest began in September in an unfamiliar location – Zuccotti Park. It was called “Occupy Wall Street.” No one knows how the revolutions will play out, but the world is watching.

The Short List of Nominees for Time Magazines’ 2011 Person of the Year

Admiral William McRaven – Led the Special-Ops Team that took down Osama bin Laden.

Ai Weiwei – Chinese activist detained in Beijing, held almost entirely incommunicado and interrogated 50 times while friends and supporters petitioned for his release. The revolutionary poet has become more outspoken in recent years about abuses of power.

Paul Ryan – Republican Congressman and House Budget Committee Chairman wrote a plan to rein in America’s debt which will shape our politics for years to come. Sweeping tax reforms, unprecedented spending freezes, and a thorough reinvention of federal entitlements were included in the budget he offered.

Kate Middleton – Her marriage to Prince William captured the gaze of millions. As the Duchess of Cambridge, the world is watching to see how she will carry out her duties. The intelligent, educated 29-year-old princess has all of the qualities necessary to make her a successful, beloved member of the royal family.

Source: Time Magazine’s Issue of 12/26/11 – 1/2/12


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