Question

What are some positive signs for the future of democracy around the world? Please direct your comments to NON-US evidence or analysis.

Answer 1

The conditions for democracy have never been better in some ways, but there have rarely been so many challenges and questions about its success in others, especially in coping with injustice, economic hardship, and global problems. The Arab Spring has lately become the subject of democratic interests. So far, the lessons for democracy are mixed, its chances ambivalent here. In the one hand , modern communications technologies massively benefited from the original revolutions in North Africa, making it nearly difficult to avoid information coming out and being exchanged, allowing for better cooperation by the revolutionaries. Technology, on the other hand, has done nothing to address old challenges of political organisation and economic chaos. Initial revolutionaries, mostly young, very secular professionals, were not able to capture political influence, and forces in culture, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, until more established, less progressive, came into play.

The conditions for democracy have never been better in some ways, but there have rarely been so many challenges and questions about its success in others, especially in coping with injustice, economic hardship, and global problems. The Arab Spring has lately become the subject of democratic interests. So far, the lessons for democracy are mixed, its chances ambivalent here. In the one hand , modern communications technologies massively benefited from the original revolutions in North Africa, making it nearly difficult to avoid information coming out and being exchanged, allowing for better cooperation by the revolutionaries. Technology, on the other hand, has done nothing to address old challenges of political organisation and economic chaos. Initial revolutionaries, mostly young, very secular professionals, were not able to capture political influence, and forces in culture, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, until more established, less progressive, came into play.

It seems like Russia is going the other direction, back to the earlier Soviet or even Tsarist styles. However, as the West resumes economic development, Russian diplomatic influence and the popularity of its neo-authoritarian style will decline, and the other side of Russia, including Ukraine's attempt to strengthen contacts with the EU, will reaffirm itself, wanting to be part of the free West. When Russia liberalises, this will also be enforced by its remaining allies in eastern Europe and Eurasia. If the West resumes progress and remains on its democratic path, it is a matter of when.