The Rise of the Rest: Illiberal Democracies

(NOTE: There are two readings for today, I wasn't sure which was the correct one, so I went with the one right under the correct date.)

For today's entry, I will be talking about Fareed Zakaria, both in his article on "The Rise of Illiberal Democracies" and his NewsWeek report on the "Post-American World" (with video.) It can be found here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/135380

Zakaria's article discussed the fact that the world is in an era of democracy, a time when elected officials and fair governmental process are becoming a worldwide trend and not just a fad among nations. I agree with this statement and feel that while some nations choose other ways to have a government, the majority- as he says, 118 of the 193-countries are democratic. Now, as an American when I think democratic usually the images of a President and a Congress of elected officials and unity and all of the American democratic values pop into my head, but there are many faces to the "legitimately elected democratic way of life." As Zakaria puts it, "Democracy is flourishing; constitutional liberalism is not."

This lack of liberalism has led to the establishment of Illiberal Democracies, or governments that in Zakaria's opinion are too oppressive to truly be "for the people." It is amazing to see how a nation like Iran can be ruled by a demagogue-like ruler yet still have open elections in which the same rulers are put back in power. Is it because the people feel forced to stick with the majority? The case can be made for the current regimes in Russia and Zimbabwe. While the definition of democracy is clearly being skewed far from the generic American answer, the case could be made that the US in losing is grasp as a world leader and revolutionary.

Zakaria combats that notion of power loss by saying although the democratic cold may be broken, the technologies and education that American offers is far from comparison and will continue to influence the rest of the world. Even democracies that are considered illiberal send students to learn in America, and possibly the values they take with them can help to spread a "truer and freer" democracy.

In my opinion, Zakaria is right about America's size and ability to garner lots of talent in both schools and labs. I also think he is on the right track by calling many democracies "illiberal," although I think there could be a better way to describe them. It may have democratic roots, but with such a strong unmovable government, it's hard not to think it may be just a mask for the authoritarian regimes hidden underneath the "legitimacy."