Reading List: The Future of Freedom by Fareed Zakaria

After the first few years of Bush's administration and being told "Democracy-spreading" was a justification for just about anything, Fareed Zakaria delves into what actually makes a Democracy succeed in our world, and what we need to do to strengthen Democracy here in our own country after being led astray by politicians and power hungry corporations. He does a good job of outlining why merely holding an election isn't a proper goal for a young democracy and makes the case for having civil liberties and a rule-of-law before even attempting to begin democratization.

All in all the book was a good read and Zakaria does a good job of giving footnotes and backing up his theories. His articles, books, and TV show (GPS on CNN on Sundays) are all well thought out and offer great insight into international issues.

A quote from the book:
"Modern democracies will face difficult new challenges - fighting terrorism, adjusting to globalization, adapting to an aging society - and they will have to make their system work much better than it currently does. That means making democratic decision-making effective, reintegrating constitutional liberalism into the practice of democracy, rebuilding broken political institutions and civic associations. Perhaps most difficult of all, it requires that those with immense power in our societies embrace their responsibilities, lead, and set standards that are not only legal, but moral. Without this inner stuffing, democracy will become an empty shell, not simply inadequate but potentially dangerous, bringing with it the erosion of liberty, the manipulation of freedom, and the decay of common life."