From the ancient concept of the “divine right of kings” (the belief that kings were chosen and blessed by a higher power) to ideological “superhuman” leaders like Adolph Hitler or Mao Tse Tung, to theocratic regimes in which there is a fusion of religion and the state, there are a variety of societies where disobeying the ruler or his/her representatives is seen as a form of sacrilege. Power can be given to the ruler willingly, like in democratic societies, or people can be coerced to give it, against their own will, or they can simply be apathetic, and relinquish that power because they don’t care and they don’t think their actions can lead to any change. This is why nonviolent campaigns are so important: They make people aware that their actions CAN and DO make change… [read more]