How Dictators Faired in 2011

December 25, 2011 by John Lyman

Pictured: Col. Muammar Qaddafi, Anwar al-Awlaki and Osama bin Laden

In a few days, 2012 will be celebrated with excitement, maybe relief and some trepidation in global capitals.  Upon some reflection, the general consensus will be that 2011 was an eventful year.  Of the significant changes that happened over the course of 2011, the Arab Spring and the very recent demonstrations in Moscow after their latest effort at democratization, the fact that the world is no longer haunted by as many dictators and despots who defined our collective understanding of the international system, could define 2011 as much as some of the peaceful transfer of powers that happened in the Middle East and North Africa.

Whether at the hands of American Special Forces (Osama bin Laden), American drone aircraft (Anwar al-Awlaki), at the hands of his own countrymen (Col. Muammar Qaddafi), or through decades of a high caloric diet (Kim Jong-il), 2011 was not a pleasant year for a number of bad actors.  And in 2012, the Robert Mugabe’s of the world will be anxious to see if they will suffer the same fate.

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Vaclav Havel: A Playwright, Revolutionary, President & Prophet

December 25, 2011 by Sudhanshu Tripathi

With the death of former Czech President Vaclav Havel, the world has lost a rational humanist and a gentle man who crusaded relentlessly for the establishment of moral values in society and polity. By pursuing these values throughout his life, he eventually became a prophet.

The end of the year witnessed the sad demise of the legendry Czech leader, Vaclav Havel, who died a hero. He crusaded relentlessly throughout his life for the cause of democracy as a means of awakening, Power to the Powerless.

A poet, playwright, political dissident, president, philosopher, and a philanthropist, Havel successfully grasped through his rare intellect ordinary people’s feelings and aspirations and provided ordinary Czech’s an outlet in the form of a bloodless revolution known as Velvet Revolution that unseated the communist regime in the former Czechoslovakia in 1989.  Vaclav led his country with unique moral guidance as they walked down to the difficult path of democracy.

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