After studying the French Revolution, it should be clear that their is a limit to how much the mass of people are willing to tolerate…poor government and inept leaders…High taxes and economic instability…Injustices and societal inequalities…
Societies may be willing to tolerate one or even a combination of these inequities and injustices but eventually their is a breaking point. For the French it should be pretty clear, the reign of Louis XVI and the inequalities of the French social and political structure (The system of the Estates and Estates-General) created a lethal response from the French people.
Taking the lessons we have learned from the French, let’s apply this knowledge to some more current situations. The contested Iranian elections from last summer appeared to be driving the Iranians to a second revolution. However, over the course of the last year many observers have been forced to reassess their understanding of the Green Movement.
Another country that is facing tremendous turmoil is Burma – one of the least free places on the planet. Burma continues to crack down on its’ citizens, going so far as to limit free speech and marching in order to eliminate political opposition.
Why is it then that some nations turn to violence and others are able to avoid it? Is their a formula that we could use that would help us to predict future revolutions before they occur?
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