M,W,F 9am class

M,W,F 11am class

Tuesday 5:40pm class

T,R, 9:50am class

Libyan revolution. What's next?

The Libyan revolution brings back a very old discussion, that is to say, the outcome of revolutions. People have this idea that since revolutions are such transforming overwhelming events, it may happen that the toppled old regime ends up being better than the new one. So, when it comes to ratings, revolutions get mixed reviews. Yet, as revolutions happen not by decree, but as a result of overwhelming social and political interrelated forces, few would argue against their historic relevance.

So, what's a revolution? It entails not only mass mobilization and regime change (a rebellion* can do that without becoming a revolution), but also more or less rapid and fundamental social, economic and/or cultural change, during or soon after the struggle for state power.

We can study revolutions from a variety of perspectives, whether sociological, psychological or political. From the psychological standpoint, a revolution is said to be caused by a particular "state of mind" of the masses. People revolt because they have issues (whether modernization, economic hardship, exploitation, discrimination), the common denominator is a  widespread frustration with a specific sociopolitical situation.

Society being a system in equilibrium between resources, demands and subsystems (political, cultural). From the sociological point of view, revolutions are caused by a severe disequilibrium between these diverse resources. Finally, the political standpoint takes a look at the power struggle between competing groups. From the Marxist point of view, it boils down to class conflict. The antagonism which exists in society is due to competing socioeconomic interests between people of different classes.Yet, because of Libya's oil and small population, the population was not as bad as many other places in North Africa, (which makes this revolution more interesting to look at).

The New York Times brings a group of experts to discuss the Libyan revolution. Keep in mind that one should get acquainted with the particular history of the country at hand before having opinions.

Shadi Hamid writes: 

Unlike Egypt, Libya doesn’t have the benefit of established political parties, a largely independent judiciary, and a whole host of other weak but intermittently vibrant institutions. But, for these same reasons, Libya isn’t as weighed down by the past. 

Mark Quarterman warns the perils of instability:

Chaos and instability would undermine trust in the T.N.C. and make it much harder to bring Libyans together to plan for the future. An effective middle term process that leads to a political settlement, reconciliation and wide participation must begin as soon as possible, and is a necessary step for the ultimate success of the transition. Libyans need to see that there is a roadmap to a democratic future.

Mansour O. El-Kikhia seems more optimistic, but sets specific goals for the transition team:

Libya’s revolution has perhaps proven to be the exception in that we saw little to no looting or destruction of public wealth, nor did we witness other atrocities that usually accompany such changes. It seems that Libyans realize that engaging in such behavior would undermine the very goals they have fought and died for. This is good news and leads me to believe that among them there is not only the understanding and willingness to give the National Transitional Council a chance to forge ahead with the necessary changes. First among them is electing a legitimate body to finalize a new Libyan constitution and oversee new popular elections to approve the constitution framework and follow it up with popular elections that staff the new institutions and bring them on line.

What do you think about this unique event? Is there hope for this revolution? Whichever your answer, please try to justify your views. Let's make this initial assignment for 150 words. Write your document in word, save it and spell-check it before submitting your comment. Please, no capital letters, no exclamations signs, no informal language.

I'm closing this post next Tuesday, Thursday, September 1 @ 11pm.
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*Not all rebellions end up in revolutions, but most revolutions start as rebellions.

Some sugestions

Hi. Some of you wanted a list of books on Hinduism. Here you are:

The Upanishads (Nigiri Press)
The Bavhavad Gita same press. Though this one I assigned for the class, by Bantam Press is pretty good too).
This copy of the Yoga Sutras (Patanjali) is very affordable.
The Dammaphada (Nigiri Press), translator Easwaran's clear language is quite good, he keeps the poetic essence.

Is there survival after death?

This group of British scientists, including two astrophysicists, a thermodynamicist, and other professional researchers, seems to think so.