WORLD DEMOCRACY: who´s who and who´s not

[55° N - 13° E]

We were discussing the meaning of democracy on another thread and there was some scepticism about if it even exists. Here´s a list of world democracies and how countries are rated: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_TABLE_2007_v3.pdf">http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMO ... 007_v3.pdf</a><!-- m -->
Do you agree with this list? :rules

[55° N - 13° E]

I find this list VERY interesting. The United States calls itself the LEADER "of democracy" and of the "free world"! But ....



Full marks for “ELECTORIAL PROCESS” go to:
Sweden
Iceland
Norway
Denmark
Finland
Luxembourg
Australia
New Zealand
Uruguay
· The U.S. doesn’t come close. Actually the U.S. is behind the former communist countries of Czech Republic, Slovenia, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, Latvia, Poland, Bulgaria (!), Romania (!), Croatia, Ukraine(!), Serbia (!), Mongolia (!), Montenegro, and Moldova (!) … not to mention Costa Rica, Uruguay, Chile, South Korea, India (!), Botswana (!), Brazil, Panama, Jamaica, Israel, and Philippines.


Full marks for “FUNCTIONING GOVERNMENT” go to:
Sweden
Finland
· The U.S. is a long way from seeing daylight. It comes behind even India (!!)


Full marks for “POLITICAL PARTICIPATION” go to:
Sweden
Norway
· The U.S. is behind, but not too far.


Full marks for “POLITICAL CULTURE” go to:
Iceland
Holland
· The U.S. is lagging again but not too badly.


Full marks for “CIVIL LIBERTIES” go to:
Sweden
Iceland
Holland
Australia
Canada
Ireland
New Zealand
· This category - probably the one most important of the whole list - shows that the U.S. sucks at this too. As a matter of fact, the U.S. is long, long behind virtually all of the ex-communist countries and Latin America too, leaving the U.S. at approximately 56th. place!

The United States LEADER "of democracy" and of the "free world"? My ass!

[Steven]

We were discussing the meaning of democracy on another thread and there was some scepticism about if it even exists. Here´s a list of world democracies and how countries are rated: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMOCRACY_TABLE_2007_v3.pdf">http://www.economist.com/media/pdf/DEMO ... 007_v3.pdf</a><!-- m -->
Do you agree with this list? :rules

very good! I even say impressive! I did not know about this classification! However ... yes there is democracy! but it is preferable that the list include the warrior countries! as they can choose between good and bad! as with that unreported communism they choose only bad things! ;-)