Time 100: All the world's a stage
This year has been marked by political upheaval around the world. From the toppling of governments in Tunisia and Egypt, the ongoing protests in Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere in the region, and the de facto civil war raging in Libya, the global political landscape has been drastically altered.
And this is captured in Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people - a typically eclectic mix of personalities from a range of spheres, from politics and business to entertainment and sports (though the list is just that - a list, not a ranking). This year's compilation gives a fair share of credit to those who have shaped the action on the world stage - whether unlikely revolutionaries or symbols of entrenched power.
They aren't all on the same side of history, but reflect the continual tension of ideologies that have brought about conflict and, in some cases, resolution.
There are the average citizens who helped sparked national change. Wael Ghonim, a 30-year-old Google executive, was detained by government security for 12 days in the early going of Egypt's tumultuous protests. After his release and despite his claims that he was no hero, he became a reluctant symbol and spokesman of the movement that ousted President Hosni Mubarak from power after 30 years of authoritarian rule.
"By emphasizing that the regime would listen only when citizens exercised their right of peaceful demonstration and civil disobedience, Wael helped initiate a call for a peaceful revolution," Egyptian politician and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei, writes in Time.
Complete coverage: Anger in the Arab world
In Libya, human rights lawyer Fathi Terbil challenged Muammar Qaddafi's iron-fisted rule by representing the families of Libyan prisoners killed in a 1996 massacre at Abu Salim prison. Terbil was arrested in Benghazi in February, sparking a demonstration that "grew into a full-blown rebellion that has liberated eastern Libya from Qaddafi's grasp and may yet topple him from Tripoli," writes author Hisham Matar.
There are the would-be heirs to authoritarianism. Saif al-Islam Qaddafi, once seen as a potential force for democratic change in Libya, has taken up the role of his father's pit bull, saying of the rebel movement that "we will not be tolerant. We will fight to the end. We will never, ever surrender to these people." (Nobody wrote for Time on his behalf.)
And in one of the most repressive regimes, Kim Jong Un stands poised to take over North Korea's reins from his father, Kim Jong Il. The elder Kim's engagement with the West has often been belligerent and he's used his country's nuclear program as his prime negotiating chip. Following news that his son would take over, brinksmanship between the North and South reached dangerous levels, giving little hope that younger Kim would stray too far from his father's erratic diplomacy. (Nobody wrote for Time on his behalf either.)
Time 100: Interesting but not "most influential"
There are the religious leaders whose teachings largely have been fueled by anti-U.S. sentiment. In Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr is poised to gain political power after previously serving as a thorn in the side of American forces, stoking sectarian violence in the war-torn country with his Mahdi Army. "Now the ayatullah in training wields political power and militia might: his bloc of parliamentarians can make or break the Iraqi government," writes Time's Bobby Ghosh.
In Yemen, U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki has been implicated in a host of plots against his former homeland. Several of the 9/11 attackers allegedly attended his sermons; he maintained contact with Maj. Nidal Hasan, who is charged with killing 13 people in the Fort Hood shooting rampage; he also claimed to have trained the Christmas day bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab; and he reportedly inspired Faisal Shahzad, the would-be Times Square bomber.
There are the stalwart supporters of democracy and freedom of expression caught in the throes of repressive regimes. After decades fighting for democracy in Burma, only to spend the bulk of that time in detention, Aung San Suu Kyi remains on the front lines of her country's reform movement and has become a global example of nonviolent resistance.
In China, renowned artist Ai Weiwei recently was imprisoned for unspecified economic crimes. But, as former U.S. ambassador John Huntsman writes, "he has drawn the world's attention to the vibrancy of contemporary Chinese culture. More important, Ai, 53, has shown compassion for his fellow citizens and spoken out for victims of government abuses, calling for political reforms to better serve the people."
And there are figures who defy easy classification. Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who spearheaded the release of thousands of leaked classified U.S. documents, is seen as either a cyber freedom fighter or a threat to global security. Soon after the document dump, which predictably drew the ire of many world governments, Assange was charged in a Swedish sex crimes investigation and currently is appealing his extradition from the United Kingdom.
"Regardless of what happens to Assange, which he will almost certainly not deserve, the construction of stateless, secure and indestructible Internet drop boxes cannot be undone. Secrets will never be safe again," writes author Germaine Greer.
Secrets may never be safe again. And freedom may just a little bit closer to those who have gone without. Or not. The great drama unfolding in the world continues.