What will "democracy" mean, for the next generation?
At the moment, Western democracy has a pretty good image. It’s associated with things like: freedom, prosperity, wealth, justice, progress. I'm not saying that democracy actually causes those things; I'm not saying it doesn't. What I mean is that when most people think of democracy, those are what springs to mind, I think. Democracy today has a pretty good image.
Many people assume that democracy will always be attractive, although only a few have been bold enough to say it. But this wasn't always true, and maybe it won't be. 10 years from now, what will people think of when they hear the word “democracy”?
That all depends what happens. Suppose things get worse in:
Egypt, Libya: Democracy (at least in theory)… violence, extremists, civil war.
Europe: Democracy… riots, poverty, panic.
America: Democracy… deadlock, paralysis, decline.
I'm not saying democracy really caused ...
