The Magistrate's Lessons

The Magistrate learns that when one is stripped of all power and the only thing left is his own insignificance, even the smallest acts of rebellion are worth something. During his "interview" with Colonel Joll after he disturbed the beatings in the public square, the Magistrate says that "if he (the guard) goes near me I will hit him with all the strength in my body. I will not disappear into the earth without leaving my mark on them." This quote reveals both the Magistrate's insignificance - he knows that the greatest impact he can have now is leaving a bruise or scar - and his new found determination to not go without a fight. He has been reduced from a position of authority to one of irrelevance, yet he is far more determined to leave his mark as a nothing than he ever was when he held power.
He also learns that there is very little that separates the body from the soul. When describing his torturer, Mandel, he says, "He deals with my soul: every day he folds the flesh aside and exposes my soul to the light." The Magistrate quickly learns that when subjected to pain and humiliation and neglect, the gap between man and beast grows much smaller. Everything that separates humans from lesser animals - self-awareness, complex thought, a sense of honor - disappears when faced with hunger and thirst and filth. The Magistrate learns that it is only through civilization - through comfort and health and care - that man can rise above the level of animals.

Emergency Powers in Egypt

Until the recent revolution, Egypt had been under "Emergency Law" for nearly thirty years. The law, which was regularly extended by President Mubarak, allowed indefinite imprisonment without trial, detention and trials of civilians my military courts, and limits on speech and association. While the Egyptian government claims the law was imposed to protect citizens from terrorism and violence, international critics claim the case of Egypt exemplifies the threats of "emergency powers": they provide ultimate control to individual leaders with no monitoring and no end in sight.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/30/AR2006043001039.html