Pine & Repine

     A cyclic nature pervades many aspects of history and personal experience. While no technical history evinces the psychological process of pining, revolutions demonstrate this point markedly well. Pining usually refers to broken hearts in the matter of personal love. However, the term is defined merely as "to suffer a mental and physical decline." This broader definition, applied to political thought, reveals angst in the heart of the people. It is nigh impossible for human society to stagnate levelly; growth or destruction occurs in varying degrees. Economic charts, particularly, have sharp peaks with slopes going up or down, never level. This is true with international and personal relations as well. The more time spent with something, the inclination towards it will increase its desirability or decrease into apathy, possibly hatred if conditioned.
     Humans pine for causes. Whether the overarching cause of justice, democracy, freedom, revenge, or imperial superiority, some desire fuels the ambitions. Eventually this cause loses its passion, and people pine for the fervor that once easily possessed the masses. The cause remains, the purposed hearts fade, the effects diminish, and the conclusion holds wasted, unfruitful efforts. Likewise in the world of love, the initial interest peaks, involvement elaborates, and over time, discontent upsets the balance creating an emotional state reminiscent on past passion.
     As vehemence dies with many goals unfulfilled, new steps are taken to ensure the fire's brightness, usually at a cost to its heat. As the virgin passions fade farther into the past, nostalgia for that first driving force kick-starts another bout of energy as the participants remain pining for better times. Unfortunately, passion-driven societies are usually filled with turmoil and violence.

     Polybius analyzed Rome's system of government as Carthage fell in 146 B.C. He determined that the republic system was the most capable manner of delaying the inevitable cycle of tyranny typical of Greek monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy. People and power mix poorly. Inevitably, oppression ensues as time betrayed the Roman republic into an empire.
     The most recent example to attract wide-spread attention over several weeks are the revolutions in North Africa. The Egyptian revolution yanked power back from the political leaders in attempts to undermine the corruption that discontented its citizen-subjects. However, the coop failed on several counts, and the new system will likely totter into its predecessors tracks before too long.
     The most famous example of pining for better times where money for food was not snatched from the hand of the poor to feed the luxuries of the rich is the French Revolution. The focus of the entire bloodbath initiated with more equality for the middle class to socially escalate to the standing of nobles within the Second Estate. As the various groups of the middle class gained control, none successfully retained power for a long period. The famed Reign of Terror held France for over a year but succumbed to its own paranoia. Finally, arising from ten years of rubble on Parisian streets, Napoleon solidified the government by becoming a monarch in principle though the title remained incognito for several early years. Thus, France's desire to establish a democracy ended with the establishment of a new monarchy with many in the populace satisfied with new found glory.
     The question then becomes was anything achieved by the revolution - or any revolution - if the end result is a near-mirror image of the instigating circumstances? People's contributions give a sense of personal touch, influence, and hope attached to the new regime of whatever system is established. Thus, satisfaction is achieved by and large. However, as time passes and the original founders fall from power or pass away, those less involved in the revolution repine for the glory that their predecessors achieved. This cyclic discontent for the nostalgia of power engineers' interactions of all people in the modern world.
     Pining does apply equally to both love and politics, but the lessons learned by each application vary in accordance with time, culture, and involvement. The joys of accomplishment aid the present but will ultimately overthrow pleasures of the future as its brightness and potential seem to fade against the stark fires of revolution instigated by the hearts of those pining and repining for a better life.

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Agatha Tyche