The End of a Dictatorships' Regime

It's official, Mubarak has stepped down!  What a moment for the history of the world.  Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever does."  One person's actions, one group of people's solidarity:  that's what it took to bring down two dictatorial governments in the past month (Tunisia & Egypt).  Currently, revolutions have been sparked in Yemen, Bahrain, and Iran.  


When Shakespeare writes about Julius Caesar, he makes it very clear to the audience that Caesar's greatest flaw is his inability to set aside his own personal ambitions for the betterment of his people.  This kind of selfish rule is ultimately what convinces Brutus to join the conspiracy and do what he dreads - kill Caesar.  Caesar's rule can be foreseen by the conspirators:  they see a group of people ruled by a man whose priorities center on himself.  That, the conspirators know, will lead to a lot of problems for the Roman empire and they fear those problems enough to plan Caesar's assassination.

Keep an eye on world politics, everyone.  The lessons Shakespeare intends to bring our attention to are issues that are pertaining to our world right now!


Read more!  http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/
02/11/egypt.protests/index.html?hpt=T1 


Reflect:
1.  Do you support the protestors?  Are they doing the right thing? Do they have any other options?


2.  What freedom or liberty would you miss the most living in a society run by a dictator?  Can you imagine living in that situation?