Musings on Revolution

There is Anglosphere democracy then there is Russian democracy. In Anglosphere democracy the voters get to choose between candidates that have for the most part been selected in some form or other by a political party whereas in Russian democracy the United Russia party controls who may stand against it, the media and virtually all the levers of power. Being Russian the powers that be are ruthless in the suppression of any political opposition that might have a real chance including putting the leader on trial on trumped up charges where inevitably the accused is found guilty. The State also involves itself in executing journalists and others who come too close to the truth about what crimes are being carried out in the name of the Russian people. State policy will even be carried out overseas with the murder of Litvinenko a prime example. It leaves one somewhat cynical about the result of uprisings against autocratic regimes since those that eventually take over power seem to be exactly the same or sometimes worse than the lot who were in power before. Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 must be two of the most prescient books in the English language. It seems almost that it is something in the genes of the natives of the country concerned. It does though appear to be the consequence of revolutions - that once the revolutionary genie is out of the bottle it can never be put back in. It did happen here in 1660 but can it be said to have happened elsewhere? One looks at France and wonders if the eurozone crisis brings it to its knees will its citizens turn to revolution again? It almost happened in 1968.