The following is from Chapter 1 of SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity:
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Is Democracy Working?
Without getting into the debate of whether the U.S. is a democracy or republic (the Constitution says it is the latter), let us simplify the government form called democracy (or republic) as a sovereignty of the people where the majority rules with minorities protected. The system provides for basic human rights, fair elections, equality before the law, constitutional limits on government and general pluralism. Both Democrats and Republicans function in our democracy, so any government form of the above that is not authoritarian or a monarchy qualifies in this book as a democracy. Democracy is the institutionalization of freedom.
Democracy might have been invented in India before the 6th century BC. India today is the world’s largest democracy. However, the history books tend to write that this form of government was started around the same time in Athens, Greece, where it was practiced.
Without getting into the debate of whether the U.S. is a democracy or republic (the Constitution says it is the latter), let us simplify the government form called democracy (or republic) as a sovereignty of the people where the majority rules with minorities protected. The system provides for basic human rights, fair elections, equality before the law, constitutional limits on government and general pluralism. Both Democrats and Republicans function in our democracy, so any government form of the above that is not authoritarian or a monarchy qualifies in this book as a democracy. Democracy is the institutionalization of freedom.
Democracy might have been invented in India before the 6th century BC. India today is the world’s largest democracy. However, the history books tend to write that this form of government was started around the same time in Athens, Greece, where it was practiced.
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North Korea’s constitution describes the country as a democratic state, but it does not operate on those principles. Thus, it is not a matter of what a country is called or what its governing document says—the reality is in the performance. There are gray areas, such as social or anarchistic democracy. We will stick with the popular form of liberal democracy as utilized in the United States, which began to gain worldwide dominance only after World War II.
During the past century, about one/third of society has lived in democratic nations. Democracies come and go, with the U.S., U.K. Sweden, Switzerland and Canada perhaps noteworthy as being able to continuously maintain this form of government for more than a few years.
During the past century, about one/third of society has lived in democratic nations. Democracies come and go, with the U.S., U.K. Sweden, Switzerland and Canada perhaps noteworthy as being able to continuously maintain this form of government for more than a few years.
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Fascism was a problem, but was eliminated. Democracies tend to be immune to communism. Military and assorted coups have overthrown democracies more than 30 times over the past century. Thailand regularly does this.
According to Freedom House (an American organization), at the end of 2005, there were 122 electoral democracies, representing 64% of all nations, compared to 40% in the mid-80s.167 The 2006 ranking for best democracies show Sweden at the top and the U.S. at #17. Why so low? Civil rights have recently been compromised and there is a sense that the government is not functioning. They could be right. The U.K. is at #23, India at #35, Thailand #90, Russia #102, Iraq #112 and North Korea #167.
There is even a new journal on the subject, called Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. One interesting point made is that open-source technology, such as Wikipedia, is making government decision-making more democratic.225
Is there hope for democracy in Islamic countries? Interestingly enough, two Muslim countries, Lebanon and Turkey, are similar to U.S. views on favoring democracy over a leader with a strong hand: U.S. at 63%, Lebanon 63% and Turkey 57%. U.S. at 63%?? The other 27% must want something else than a democracy. Anyway, on the question of whether democracy can work in their country, the Pew Research Center reported that:
o Kuwait 83%
o Nigeria 75%
o Lebanon 68%
o Pakistan 58%
o Turkey 50%
o Indonesia 41%
The study further indicated that 70% of respondents from Turkey, Senegal and Mali agreed that religion should be kept separate from government policy. The U.S. result was 55%. That is, 45% of people in this country think that religion should not be separated from government.14 If you’re wondering about the insanity of some of this, wait till you get to Chapter 5 on the Golden Evolution.
In mid 2007 a poll of Iranians by Terror Free Tomorrow found that 79% supported a democratic system in which leaders are elected through free elections. 78% favored nuclear energy, but only 33% were for nuclear weapons.
Thus, the bottom line is that people of the Middle East feel that democracy can work in their country. They don’t like the U.S. telling them what to do, so there needs to be a different approach. A 2005 Gallup International Poll found 78% from the Middle East agreeing that “Democracy may have problems but it is the best form of government.” Further, on the prospects of the United Nations becoming significantly more powerful in world affairs, 77% of Indonesians and 70% of Iranians were positive.179
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According to Freedom House (an American organization), at the end of 2005, there were 122 electoral democracies, representing 64% of all nations, compared to 40% in the mid-80s.167 The 2006 ranking for best democracies show Sweden at the top and the U.S. at #17. Why so low? Civil rights have recently been compromised and there is a sense that the government is not functioning. They could be right. The U.K. is at #23, India at #35, Thailand #90, Russia #102, Iraq #112 and North Korea #167.
There is even a new journal on the subject, called Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. One interesting point made is that open-source technology, such as Wikipedia, is making government decision-making more democratic.225
Is there hope for democracy in Islamic countries? Interestingly enough, two Muslim countries, Lebanon and Turkey, are similar to U.S. views on favoring democracy over a leader with a strong hand: U.S. at 63%, Lebanon 63% and Turkey 57%. U.S. at 63%?? The other 27% must want something else than a democracy. Anyway, on the question of whether democracy can work in their country, the Pew Research Center reported that:
o Kuwait 83%
o Nigeria 75%
o Lebanon 68%
o Pakistan 58%
o Turkey 50%
o Indonesia 41%
The study further indicated that 70% of respondents from Turkey, Senegal and Mali agreed that religion should be kept separate from government policy. The U.S. result was 55%. That is, 45% of people in this country think that religion should not be separated from government.14 If you’re wondering about the insanity of some of this, wait till you get to Chapter 5 on the Golden Evolution.
In mid 2007 a poll of Iranians by Terror Free Tomorrow found that 79% supported a democratic system in which leaders are elected through free elections. 78% favored nuclear energy, but only 33% were for nuclear weapons.
Thus, the bottom line is that people of the Middle East feel that democracy can work in their country. They don’t like the U.S. telling them what to do, so there needs to be a different approach. A 2005 Gallup International Poll found 78% from the Middle East agreeing that “Democracy may have problems but it is the best form of government.” Further, on the prospects of the United Nations becoming significantly more powerful in world affairs, 77% of Indonesians and 70% of Iranians were positive.179
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The Dow Jones Industrials rose 46 to 8331, while world markets were mixed. Gold went up almost a buck to $926/toz. Oil inched up, but there is yet another prediction, suggesting that crude will drop back to $50/barrel. What did I tell you about oil price predictions?
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Tomorrow, a simple solution to wars.
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