Always welcome democracy!

The development of real democracy respecting human rights is never to be feared.

There is actually a global political awakening of the exploited and impoverished youth of the Third World denouncing inequality, exploitation and oppression. It is largely driven by the Internet and social media. The aim is to promote democracy of the people for the people. Any humanist cant denounces this. It is not a country-by-country problem. If all the dictators actually defending their power with bullets had respect their people, they would not be in the position they are now. Libya, Bahrain and Yemen used lethal force to quash antigovernment protests. China detains hundreds of activists in the biggest police crackdown since last October when dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize. Unsurprisingly, Chinese authorities have suspended text messaging in politically tense areas. Dictators act to maintain power, not for the good of their people. The problem for China is that the actual revolution wave strengthen the oppressed population in their determination, self-confidence, and give more power to the independent social groups and institutions of its people.

We actually see massive shut-downs of the society, general strikes, mass stay-at-homes, defiant marches increasingly undermining dictators’ organization. Dictators become powerless and the democratic defenders triumph without violence. At least two dictatorship disintegrates in front of their defiant population. The collapse of these dictatorships doesn’t erase poverty, crime, bureaucratic inefficiency, and environmental destruction. It opens the way for hard work and long efforts to build more just relationships.  It also helps the rebuilding of greater political democracy, personal liberties, and social justice. But revolutions open the door to all kinds of problems and all kinds of threats to human rights. In many countries, decades of oppression and submission to rulers have deliberately weakened the social, political, economic institutions of the society. If revolution is becoming just a tool for the elite to gear politics to their interests and deprive the majority of their rights, it’s no longer a democracy. All men and women prizing human rights should support democracy. It is not the best but the less worst way to govern. All the countries of this world have a chance to help shape a more democratic world. Promoting democracy serves all human interests. It entails inherent risks but the denial of freedom carries more long-term dangers.