revolting

So why am I going on and on about Egypt, Libya, etc. and playing armchair general?
Because I am fascinated by what it takes to move the donkey-wheel of power. What force and what leverage succeed? How do a people turn around a hostile government? What does it take? Is non-violence enough against a state that will kill? How much can a state, perhaps the one we live in, get away with? What the hell do I do about living in a torture-reliant state? Make no mistake about it, under Bush/Obama doctrine, an American citizen can be seized, subjected to torture, all civil rights denied, without even being prosecuted, and with all prospects for redress denied. If you think you're any better in the eyes of the law than your kindred American citizen, you're kidding yourself.