Dystopia

Took my last final today--Modern Conflicts.  I think I got an A+, which would be my highest grade for that (usually difficult) class.  Well, I'll find out Monday.

For all its difficulty, it was an amazing class.  Now when I hear about certain political figures and events on the radio, or in the news, or online, it's not so vague anymore.  My sense of geography is hugely improved.  Off the top of my head, I can at least estimate dates for events that I couldn't place before.

More importantly, this class made me appreciate my life more than I did.  That might sound cheesy, but it's true.  It's so easy to take things for granted--political stability, human rights, national identity, even climate.  But some people live their whole lives without any of that and without the ability to find it.  That's daily life for millions of people.

The Hunger Games hits theaters today.  I'm not going to turn this post into an opinionated spiel, but let me just say this: why not read about dystopias from history, ancient or recent?  What does a fictitious trilogy teach us about sadistic dictatorships that we couldn't learn from real people?