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Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 10:08:11 AM

Anaxagoras

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When reading an article the other day an intriguing fact was mentioned - there are only 22 (or 23 depending on criteria) independent nations that have had continuous democracy since 1950! Countries are exempt from the list due to military intervention, states of emergency, the featuring of very extended periods of single party rule or having achieved independence after 1950. Still though it is a sobering thought when considering there are at least 193 nations in the world at present, and a further twenty odd nations in dispute.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:XsGYb5DzZ9YJ:cw.routledge.com/textbooks/9780415879736/downloads/comp-chart1.pdf+democracies+since+1950&hl=en&gl=ie&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESjdvW-27YV7MM1UwIs-m5FzSG6qKOUahS21hs1P3dIGVB-vwJZuqPauOGxms1IAiyT-lqH3KqxcZGwdNDnavzBGRqHvMS0PS326r9lbepnT2jYFINk3i4u6MECJWkJlPoK0Oa95&sig=AHIEtbSrdbJBQ1MZnQ3NSkxR8yYUi5bWeg

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 10:23:08 AM

PeonForHer

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That *is* sobering. Hmmm.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 10:29:09 AM

subrob1967

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Perhaps those democracies should consider becoming republic's instead... Just sayin'

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 5:19:46 PM

joether

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quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967
Perhaps those democracies should consider becoming republic's instead... Just sayin'

Like the 'Republic of Iraq'?

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 6:19:43 PM

erieangel

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quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

Perhaps those democracies should consider becoming republic's instead... Just sayin'

To be technical, the US, while a republic, does have a democratically elected government.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 6:25:26 PM

dcnovice

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FR

That is sobering.

An an American, I often think my countrymen (and women) often overlook a huge debt we owe to John Adams. He lost the 1800 election, and his response was to surrender power. We take that for granted in the U.S., but it ain't necessarily so in many other places.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 6:42:35 PM

subrob1967

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quote:

ORIGINAL: erieangel

quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

Perhaps those democracies should consider becoming republic's instead... Just sayin'

To be technical, the US, while a republic, does have a democratically elected government.

But in a democracy, majority rules... Not so here in the US.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 7:08:37 PM

Anaxagoras

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quote:

ORIGINAL: dcnovice
An an American, I often think my countrymen (and women) often overlook a huge debt we owe to John Adams. He lost the 1800 election, and his response was to surrender power. We take that for granted in the U.S., but it ain't necessarily so in many other places.

I wasn't referring to John Adams per se but that was in part the reason for posting the topic. Democracy seems to need certain conditions to flourish or at least to survive.

It seems to me there needs to be some respect for the integrity of the institutions that represent the people of a nation, even if some of us do not always like what is going on, and in what direction they may be leading a given country. Democracy isn't perfect but there isn't any alternative, and the greater instability at the moment poses a real risk IMHO.

BTW sorry if I sobered up a lot of you guys - god knows we all need a bit of light relief! especially Peon

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 7:54:25 PM

Karmastic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

quote:

ORIGINAL: erieangel

quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

Perhaps those democracies should consider becoming republic's instead... Just sayin'

To be technical, the US, while a republic, does have a democratically elected government.

But in a democracy, majority rules... Not so here in the US.

that's why we're a republic (the U.S.)

Anaxagoras, post & good observations.

i think democracies are not the default type of government that forms by a critical mass. i.e., it's not the natural order of things. i do think and hope it's the best order of things, for people to at least have the sense of freedom.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 7:57:36 PM

subrob1967

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Karmastic
that's why we're a republic (the U.S.)

Anaxagoras, post & good observations.

i think democracies are not the default type of government that forms by a critical mass. i.e., it's not the natural order of things. i do think and hope it's the best order of things, for people to at least have the sense of freedom.

Um, I kinda pointed that little fact out in my first post.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/18/2012 9:34:04 PM

Karmastic

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quote:

ORIGINAL: subrob1967

quote:

ORIGINAL: Karmastic
that's why we're a republic (the U.S.)

Anaxagoras, post & good observations.

i think democracies are not the default type of government that forms by a critical mass. i.e., it's not the natural order of things. i do think and hope it's the best order of things, for people to at least have the sense of freedom.

Um, I kinda pointed that little fact out in my first post.

mm, which one? ic now you know we're a republic, if that's what you mean - my bad.

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RE: Factoid: Democracy is fragile - 6/21/2012 6:59:11 AM

Anaxagoras

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Karmastic
Anaxagoras, post & good observations.

i think democracies are not the default type of government that forms by a critical mass. i.e., it's not the natural order of things. i do think and hope it's the best order of things, for people to at least have the sense of freedom.

Thanks for that, Karma. I think you may be right re. it not being the natural order of things since democracy hasn't been around for long, other than a few intermittent periods in societies before the 18th Century. I think the issue of freedom is critical for democracy or otherwise it becomes a self-serving dictatorship by the masses for the masses - this is notably an issue in emerging democracies like Egypt where the great majority voted for Islamists. It seems a given society needs to have a longstanding cultural appreciation of liberty, e.g. the Enlightenment era comes into play in the West, and many of its values were behind democratic constitutions since.

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