In the New Republic, I read an incisive article, Monsters' Ball: Global authoritarianism on the march, which made me pause about another startling global trend.
Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Lebanon, Thailand, Kenya, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Philippines, Jordan (and others), all share a common political reality: grim futures brought by newly failed democracic governments. No part of the world has gone untouched or for that matter, unscathed, by democratization gone awry. Democracy may follow the way of colonial imperialism (some have yet to understand that imperialism is still immoral in any form).
The article surveys unique challenges each struggling nation faces installing historically-democratic institutions like free and fair elections within its own contexts. Ironically, as these governments have collapsed into more overtly repressive regimes, citizens have taken to the streets in protest, swelling in large numbers, and have effectively forced responsiveness from leaders--in part because there was no other choice. We see desperation drive democracy and democracy drive ever more desperation. How is this possible?
Well, like other distant analysis about worldwide democracies, American writers often omit that the first democractic experiment of modern times has not lived up to its rhetoric. Instead, we have exported our deeply distorted democractic "product" abroad.
So when will we know for certain that democracy has failed? What does a future without democracy and without capitalism look like after all?
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