It would seem we are in a constant state of chaos and upheaval. Perhaps it's just the season that brings it out. In looking at movements and struggle for independence and Democracy, the unifying factor is that all of these movements are started by people who sought change from repressive regimes. And even now, they are met with brutal subjugation at the hands of the powers-that-be. Perhaps there is a kinship between Erika (in the photograph above) and the sadistic and humiliating beating of the young woman in Cairo this past weekend. They both sought change and paid a price. For Erika it was death at the hands of Soviet troops on the streets of Budapest. The young woman in Cairo's fate isn't known yet.
In 1956 it was the Cold War and the seeds of upheaval were being sown. This Commentary by Broadcast Journalist Cedric Foster talks primarily about the rise in power of Chinese Premier Chou en Lai and his support of Soviet steps in curtailing these dissident movements.
But you can't help but feel a sense of familiarity with it all. The names and regimes are different - the uprisings and crackdowns are the same.
December 1956. It doesn't seem all that different in retrospect.
