Connections Between Egypt and Animal Farm

     The connections that I saw between the uprisings and Animal Farm were things like how one rebellion on Animal Farm led to the rebellion or thought of rebellion on the other farms who hear about the reasons for the rebellion in the first place. Like in Egypt, when their rebellions succeeded last Friday, Iran and other nearby areas began to protest on the streets hoping to find a way to break through their governments the Egypt was able to do. Egypt started a huge state of rebellion for many other countries around it and was very much like Animal Farm being the start of a successful rebellion.
     Another connection I found was that in Animal Farm, a small group of animals, or actually, just Major the pig, began the ideas and thoughts of rebellion. Then the idea was spread throughout Animal Farm and an actual rebellion occurred after Major died. It's very very similar to what happened in Egypt. The rebellion started in Tunisia and when the man burned himself to death, the idea of this rebellion spread to Egypt where it ultimately took off and a rebellion really happened. This man is like Major. He sparked the rebellion.
     Another connection is where in Animal Farm, when the humans meddle into the politics and the world where animals ruled is the same as how Americans are going into Egypt and trying to help one side or the other. The humans were fought off in Animal Farm because they embraced the freedom of choice they had without outside rule. In Egypt, many despised how Americans meddled into the rebellions and the business of the Egyptians and their government. They enjoyed having the power and the fact that they are able to "speak" through their own actions and not by some foreign country.
     Orewell is truly a genius. Even though he wrote this book many years before, the connections between Animal Farm and what is currently happening in Egypt are incredibly similar and it amazes me how he wrote something like this in his book even though he knew nothing of how the future would be like.

Governent- Corrupt?

     In my opinion, political power does corrupt those who attain it. Power itself makes people do things and brings out their selfishness. Power isn't something that necessarily "create" selfishness, but it brings out the selfishness that people already have within themselves. During class, when Mr. Sutherland put out the question about is the US government corrupt, the idea that came into my head was that no government can possibly not be corrupt. There will always be something or someone within the government who uses his or her power to do corrupt things. Crystal mentioned that the government itself isn't corrupt. The government is a blueprint in which people simply fill in and complete the tasks. I thought differently. I thought that a government's "blueprints" change with the change of power because everyone has their own personal interests and ways of handling things.These are my thought on whether or not political power corrupts those who attain it and whether or not the US government is corrupt.
     I think that George Orwell would agree with me that power corrupts people. In Animal Farm, Orwell tells a story of animals who take over a farm. The plot is actually about the Russian Revolution. In chapter one, he writes

 "So the animals trooped down to the hayfield to begin the harvest and when they came back in the evening it was noticed that the milk had disappeared." (44) 

While the animals were out working, the pigs had drunk the milk that all the other animals wanted. Although the pigs were the ones who meant good for the animals, they took advantage of the power they had over the animals and worked it to their own benefits. The pigs were extremely corrupt later on in the book. For example, they would change the laws to fit their ways of living and to their luxury.