Democracy litmus test - does the USA pass?

[paineinthearse]

http://www.ccd21.org/

From the Council for a Community of Democracies, "a global gathering of 106 governments committed to democracy came together to develop and pursue a common agenda. This community of states – drawn from a diverse mix of regions, cultures, and religions – dedicated itself to a core set of democratic principles and to support cooperation among democracies worldwide. The Council for a Community of Democracies, a non-governmental organization incorporated in Washington D.C., was formed to support this global movement...".

http://www.ccd21.org/conferences/ministerial/rt2.htm

Basic concepts

In order to discuss regional cooperation for the promotion of democracy, a minimum consensus on certain concepts, such as the following, is required:

In general terms, democracy is understood as an institutional arrangement aimed at ensuring popular control over public decision making. This implies the existence of democratic institutions and related legal framework, as well as political equality among citizens. In a broader sense, however, democracy cannot be reduced to such formal considerations. It involves other elements, of a deeper nature that, as a whole, guarantee that people indeed benefit from democracy in the political, economic and social spheres. In particular this compels a fundamental commitment by governments to poverty eradication among their populations, a commitment which in turn implies the adoption of policies which prioritize the improvement of the living conditions of ordinary people through programmes of sustainable social and economic development.

When assessing democracy, further elements should be considered such as: free, fair and regularly scheduled elections; respect for the rule of law; independence of the judiciary; independence of the legislature; full respect for minority rights and gender equity; control of the military by civilian authority; the existence of a competitive multi political party system; an equitable distribution of wealth; public accountability to the electorate; and full transparency and access to information.

The above elements justify and uphold the recognition and protection of certain rights and freedoms which are inherent to the human person. Furthermore, democracy creates and constantly develops a propitious atmosphere for human development, peace and stability.

In understanding the essence and workings of democracy, it is imperative to acknowledge that it also implies a dynamic process that needs constant strengthening and fostering. Since the democratic process requires recurrent revision and up keeping, its consolidation is a permanent task for which governments are responsible.

We must also emphasize the central role that civil society bears in this process, for it is from civil society that the shape of democratic demands spring from. As the traditional depositary of democratic values, civil society is fundamental to the development of good management in public affairs and to the betterment of democracy.

more......

[Nothing Without Hope]

1. Nope, the US is NOT a democracy, but then we knew that. Check it out:

(snip) In particular this compels a fundamental commitment by governments to poverty eradication among their populations...
(snip)
When assessing democracy, further elements should be considered such as:
free, fair and regularly scheduled elections;
respect for the rule of law;
independence of the judiciary;
independence of the legislature;
full respect for minority rights and gender equity;
control of the military by civilian authority;
the existence of a competitive multi political party system;
an equitable distribution of wealth;
public accountability to the electorate;
and full transparency and access to information.
(snip)

We miss on all points, and on some of the points it's laughable (the kind of laugh to keep from weeping).

Paine, does the US government participate in this organization? Is there anything "usable" in a publicity sense in the fact that we miss the democracy list so badly?

[paineinthearse]

2. That's the odd point

They say they have 106 participating countries, yet nowhere on their website do they list the members.

[Nothing Without Hope]

4. That is strange. How much publicity or impact do their reports get?

They are based in the US, which is odd in itself if the US turns out to be a nonmember....unless, since they are based in Wash DC, they tap into the ambassadorial personnel available there.

I'd really like to know whether there are precedents for their announcments to have some impact, especially impact within this country. Who listens to them, I wonder? As you know, the blivet** administration doesn't have a great deal of interest in reaching out to other nations, except to take something.

[paineinthearse]

5. I first read about them today when Mark Malloch Brown rebuffed *

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050311/pl_nm/rights_democracy_un_dc

U.N. Aide Chides Bush on Democracy Campaign

Thu Mar 10, 8:51 PM ET

By Irwin Arieff

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites)'s top aide said on Thursday that he slightly resented the suggestion that "somehow democracy is President Bush (news - web sites)'s invention." "I kind of think there are 42 other American presidents who might resent that as well," Mark Malloch Brown, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's chief of staff, told a news conference. "Democracy has a lot longer roots and a lot more friends than just the current campaign of President Bush."

The comments came during a daylong conference on "the state of democracy in the world," organized by the Community of Democracies, a fledgling group of about 100 nations founded in June 2000 in Warsaw to promote democratic government. The meeting was also meant to firm up plans for the community's next meeting, an April 28-30 ministerial-level conference in Santiago. Malloch Brown, who is also the U.N. Development Program administrator, said he did "slightly resent this question that somehow democracy is President Bush's invention."

Chilean officials preparing for the Santiago conference also took what appeared to be a swipe at U.S. policy, although they denied it was aimed at Washington. They said democracy cannot be imposed from outside and is best promoted by many nations, not one. "We must also remember that democracy develops from within the people," Chilean Vice President Jose Miguel Insulza told the gathering. "While the international community can play a key role in its defense and promotion, as was the case in my country, the primary responsibility lies with the societies and institutions of each country," he said.

President Bush has made the advance of freedom, particularly in the Middle East, a central theme of his second four-year term in office.
"Democracy is better promoted collectively," Chilean U.N. Ambassador Heraldo Munoz told a news conference on the conference sidelines. If promoted by an individual nation, there could be "a hidden agenda," he said. Both Munoz and Insulza later told a reporter the remarks were general and not aimed at Washington. Carl Gershman, president of the Washington-based National Endowment for Democracy, said the community needed an official definition of its preferred form of government so authoritarian regimes could not gain entry to the club just by holding an election, for example.

more.....

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. This is intriguing. If it had been organized AFTER the Nov 2000 election

I would suspect a major purpose of providing counterpoise to the US drivel about "spreading democracy," which has become a very dark phrase indeed under the fascists. I'm wondering what they are about and who listens to them how much, if that sentence makes sense. Thanks for pointing this out! I've never heard of them before, either.

[paineinthearse]

7. Does this come from elsewhere in this group's website? nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

3. Kick - this deserves some attention! n/t

[paineinthearse]

8. Aren't there any large "D" Democrats here?

:kick:

[LynnTheDem]

9. 2005 Democracy Rank USA; #13 in the world

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3256682&mesg_id=3256682

[paineinthearse]

10. Isn't that a sad state of affairs?

Where do we rank on the sliding-into-fascism scale?

[LynnTheDem]

11. What's really sad to me is those figures are from CONSERVATIVES!

They KNOW, obviously, that we are far from the most free nation...they know because they're the ones doing the #12 to #14 range of ranking. Yet the same bastards spew the "we're #1! rahrahrah" crap in the media.

WE CAN'T FIX the problems if Americans are unaware there is a problem. Surely these guys know this.

The other problem is the rest of the world hears of these figures, their media reports them, so they know we're ranked #12...and then they hear Americans chant "we're the best we're the #1 democracy!". That doesn't do anything to help overcome the world's distaste of us.

What a mess.