People Need Their Freedoms and Rights

From 1945-1991, a Cold War raged between the Western world and the communists. The communist governments of the East reigned over their territories with an iron fist. Few of the citizens enjoyed life under their governments. In Germany, East Germans found various ways to flee to West Germany and escape their oppressive leaders. Through various revolts, the totalitarian USSR government eventually hemorrhaged and was forced to dissolve. Throughout history, human beings have rejected totalitarian rule. Even here in America, many youths protested their lack of voice in the country that they were such a large part of. People need their individual rights and freedoms. This vital lesson can be applied to Egypt, where protests are under way because of the overly militaristic domestic policies of President Mubarak.

Reactions to the presence of the Berlin Wall demonstrate how humans need their freedoms. Prior to the installation of the wall, a citizen could simply cross a street and arrive at the other Berlin. But before long, the GDR (East German Government) noticed that many of their young, skilled workers were crossing over to West Germany, seeking asylum in the FRG (West Germany) (Dowling). These refugees, 200,000 on average annually, crossed over to free themselves from the new government by which they were controlled against their wills (Dowling). One can just imagine how oppressed citizens must have been in the GDR and other communist states, by seeing the overjoyed reactions of the citizens once freedom was declared (Fall of the Berlin Wall). This is a prime example of why citizens need to have their individual freedoms. Nobody can be happy under a leader they do not believe in, nor under oppressive rule. People need their individu...

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...overning he was using, the style of repressing citizens and aggressively pushing them around, he might have been able to change before protests erupted. However, he was not the first leader to govern in this manner. Throughout history, one can find countless examples of angry citizens rebelling. It happens everywhere: America, with the American Revolution against England; the poor rising up during the French Revolution; even in the peaceful protests of India, for her independence from England. Revolutions happen everywhere. It takes a good leader to prevent them, so anyone can see what this implies about Hosni Mubarak.

It is strange to think that after countless rebellions throughout history, from America to the USSR, totalitarian leadership is still occurring. Eventually, it must be globally acknowledged that people need their individual rights.