There was a really great fictional drama on television last night, featuring an in-depth psychological profile of a psychopathic criminal mastermind. No, I’m not talking about an episode of Law and Order or Criminal Minds. I’m talking about the Barbara Walters interview of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the first interview he’s done with an American media outlet since a political uprising began in his country almost nine months ago.

I don’t think anyone was surprised that Assad defended the actions of his regime over the last several months. What was shocking was the level of delusion he exhibited in his defense. We’re talking about a man who has forbidden state-run hospitals from treating anyone injured while participating in peaceful protests against his regime. You would think it would be hard to be shocked by the actions of a tyrant like that. Still, Assad proved last night that he was capable of shocking the international community with his level of sheer lunacy when discussing the current state of affairs in Syria.

Assad started the interview by telling Walters that he wanted to convey the reality of the situation in Syria to the outside world. When she asked him what that reality was, he said that it was too complicated to explain and she should ask a more specific question. So right from the beginning, we knew Assad wasn’t going to be very clear and direct in answering questions.

It's no secret that technology and new media have fueled recent revolutions throughout the world, particularly the Arab Spring. Facebook pages allow protestors to rally together around a cause or share thoughts in honor of martyrs. Smart phones let witnesses take photos and videos of violence and then immediately Tweet the multimedia. Organizing and planning for protests and marches is done almost entirely online. Information from places where journalists are forbidden is relayed to friends and relatives abroad through Skype, email and instant messaging. Social media and other new technologies are some of the biggest winners of the Arab Spring, empowering protestors becoming worldwide symbols of the power of free speech and democracy in action.

While this story is inspirational, the relationship between technology and revolution is not always that rosy. Just as protestors can use technology as a tool for democracy, autocratic governments have also been able to use technology as a tool to control and repress those who try to rebel. Governments have increasingly blocked social networking sites and interfered with internet and phone service in an attempt to impede the efforts of protestors. Even worse, governments have used the internet to track and monitor, and then punish, the most vocal proponents of the uprisings.

As climate change talks in Durban, South Africa head into their second week, hope increased for the passing of a universal, legally-binding agreement to cut greenhouse gases. China's representative Xie Zhenhua made a statement this morning, laying out their criteria for accepting an agreement. These conditions include a new round of Kyoto targets for cutting emissions in developed nations and advances on climate aid and low-carbon technology sharing.

This statement renewed optimism that a substantial deal could be met during the talks in the Durban. The discussions are being held amongst the members of the U.N. Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in their 17^th annual conference. World leaders are meeting to discuss reducing carbon emissions and the disbursement of funds from industrialized nations to developing countries to invest in greener technologies.

The United States has been one of the firmest roadblocks to any serious new agreement on climate change. It is one of the few nations to not have signed the UNFCCC's Kyoto Protocol, which would have set legally binding targets for emission reduction. And it is also the most resistant to establishing a new treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires next year.

Egyptians continued voting in parliamentary elections for a second day Tuesday, marking a historic change for a nation that was under authoritarian rule less than a year ago. The elections to fill the People's Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, are the first held since the ousting of former dictator Hosni Mubarak, who resigned from power following massive uprisings earlier this year. The first days of voting have seen an unexpectedly high level of participation (authorities estimate participation to be above 70%) amongst a population optimistic that their votes will finally matter after decades of totalitarian governance. The elections have also been surprisingly peaceful and free of obstructions that many feared would put a damper on the watershed moment for the budding democracy.

The election of a new Parliament is a months-long process, done in regional stages that will not be completed until March. This vote will set the stage for the creation of a new constitution next spring as well as a presidential election to be held next summer. The success of the voting thus far gives hope that the resulting government at the end of this process will be truly democratic and representative of the Egyptian people.