Man's general dissatisfaction with human rulership along with his eternal quest for the perfect system of government has led to a new phenomenon on the world stage-what can be called republican dynasties. These are not to be confused with the hereditary monarchies that sound almost medieval to our ears. Most countries are republics, in stark contrast to a century ago when most were monarchies. However, just because a country is a republic doesn't mean it is a democracy. A great number are dictatorships, not democracies. Many have settled down to following a long-term dictator after decades of instability. Fearful of what might happen after the strongman dies and seeking to avoid possible anarchy, what better solution than to let power pass to the son? Syria is the latest nation to opt for this solution. When President Hafez al-Assad died earlier this year his nominated successor was his son, Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian constitution, which specified that the president must be at least age 40 to hold that office, was immediately changed to allow the 34-year-old to ascend to power. The result was a foregone conclusion; his father had made it clear that his son should succeed him. Before the change in Syria, North Korea saw the beginnings of a republican dynasty. Even a communist dynasty such as North Korea still rigidly follows in the path of Joseph Stalin. However, in spite of the assured successions, change is still very much in the air. North Korea's "Dear Leader" Kim Jong Il may have grown up in the most closed society on earth, but he was an avid viewer of Western movies, which only he was allowed to watch. He seems less fearful of the West than his father and surprised everyone earlier this year when he turned out to greet South Korea's Kim Dae Jung, who had been invited to the North to discuss improving relations. Bashar al-Assad, too, is not averse to the West or Western ideas. Trained as an optometrist in London, he has acquired many Western traits and seems fairly open to the West. Other republican dynasties seem set to follow, Iraq being one of them when strongman Saddam Hussein leaves the scene. Recent history, however, raises warnings that such successions may not always go according to plan. Romania's Nicolae Ceausescu wanted his son to be the first hereditary president in the communist world. Ceausescu was overthrown and executed before his dream could be realized. Papa Doc Duvalier was a dictator of Haiti whose son, "Baby Doc," took over after he died. The son lives in France, exiled from his homeland. Perhaps the best-known republican dynasty was that of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty in India. India's first prime minister after independence was Jawaharlal Nehru, who was succeeded not long after his death by his daughter Indira Gandhi. Indira groomed her son Sanjay to take over from her, but he was killed in a car crash. When she was assassinated, her second son Rajiv became prime minister. In turn he, too, was assassinated. His Italian-born wife has since been the focal point for Gandhi supporters, but for now the dynasty seems to have died. The same can be said for the Bhuttos in neighboring Pakistan. Historically, hereditary monarchies have most often provided a clear successor. Democracies, in contrast, enable the people to vote for their leaders. Republics that are dictatorships are at a considerable disadvantage in that often there is no clear successor. A son coming to power does not mean stability is assured. Often the son lacks the charisma and leadership qualities of the father. If other contenders for power perceive weakness, there may be attempts to overthrow the government. Ironically, this is the same means by which many of the fathers themselves assumed power in the first place. Then we see the description of Christ in Matthew 20:25 come to pass: "... The rulers of the Gentiles lord it over [their subjects], and those who are great exercise authority over them." Constant power struggles result, with various factions aiming to seize power-each for its own ends. GN