In February of 2011, thousands of Egyptian protesters used social media to organize rallies to oppose their government.

In February of 2009, thousands of American protesters used social media to organize rallies to oppose their government.

That is where the similarities end.

When Egyptians used social media to connect with each other and organize rallies, they were called “forward-looking,” and “cutting edge.”  They were cast as “the spearhead of a very modern uprising,” “enabled by Facebook and Twitter” as Thomas L. Friedman of The New York Times gushed, “to feel the energy and pride of a people taking back the keys to their country and their future.”