Democracy is synonymous with civil liberties and human rights. A government by the People is, after all, predicated on the freedoms of individuals and their ability to freely express their interests. It is, therefore, easy to forget that both civil liberties and human rights are embraced to place limits on government. For democracies, this means civil liberties and human rights are intended to defy the will of the People whenever democracy undermines the freedoms of individuals.
Indeed, the Civil Rights Movement and the work of great men like Martin Luther King Jr. were very much in opposition to the status quo and the will of the majority at the time. One might even say the struggle for equal protection under the law was undemocratic in nature. It was, however, also necessary to ensure freedom for all. In failing to offer some protection to woman and minorities from institutionalized discrimination and mistreatment, the legal system was shielding those perpetrating the persecution of the disenfranchised, which undermined the promise of democracy.
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Innovation, Intellectual Capital, and Trolls: Is the Internet a Force of Liberation or Repression?1/16/2016 Questions empower people. More specifically, the power of the human brain offers mankind the ability to recognize when problems exist, identify the true nature of those problems, and devise viable solutions to those problems. In other words, the ability to question is what allows people to help build and sustain their communities. Where innovation, i.e. problem solving, is the engine of the global economy, the same kind of intellectual capital is needed to govern our increasingly complicated society.
The internet is a platform for the free expression and exchange of ideas. Like all things free, however, free is never truly free. From an economic perspective, the internet has increased productivity. This, of course, means it has created wealth. The availability of “free” knowledge on the internet has also helped redistribute wealth, which is both beneficial and detrimental. The internet has enriched many people, but it has also fed income inequality by eliminating the need for large workforces. US President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union Address had the same pageantry as yesteryears while the Press continued to pretend it was a top priority, yet the Address offered little insight as usual. If the President’s goal was to impart optimism onto the American People, he needed to be honest about the state of the union by saying the US faces major issues, but these problems can be solved only if Americans work toward consensus solutions.
Reactions to the State of the Union Address, however, reveal ways to cope with the threat of self-serving leadership and special interest-driven politics seen around the world. Where Nikki Haley responded to Obama’s speech with respectful, constructive criticism, hardliner conservatives lashed out at Haley for not being “conservative” enough as they reintegrated their relentless bashing of everything Obama does and says. This abusive bullying is what undermines true democracy and prevents quality leadership from ascending to power. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for Syria to start writing a new Constitution. Changing leadership and altering the legal structure, which defines the role, limitations, and powers of government, will do nothing to solve the problem in Syria when those changes are a superficial means of legitimizing the status quo. Only after the conflict is resolved or a viable quorum of warring parties is able to agree upon a common vision for Syria can a functional government be crafted.
Global leaders like Putin have an interest in preventing Syria from devolving into another Iraq or Libya, but the sad reality is that Syria is already in a far worse state than Iraq and may be even Libya. Prematurely crafting a new Syrian Constitution that solely legitimizes Assad’s hold on power or a peace plan that makes superficial changes to Syria’s leadership will do nothing, because the Assad regime is not strong enough to hold onto power and it does not solve the problems feeding the conflict. The inability to recognize this demonstrates a misreading of the situation in Syria as well as a failure to understand the value of government and the nature of power. World powers enjoy influence over global affairs, because they have responsibilities in maintaining a stable International Community. When failing to uphold these responsibilities, world powers lose the privileges they derive from the International Community, particularly when global instability reigns. Although struggling with economic crises and conflict with the United States, both China and Russia must still fulfill their responsibilities as world powers in order to serve their broader national interests.
Russian hostility, e.g. the Ukraine Crisis, continues to be an imminent threat to the US and Europe while Chinese aggression, e.g. the South China Sea Crisis, continues to be an imminent threat to the US and Asia. That said, Russian intervention in Syria has drawn attention away from the Ukraine Crisis, shifted the war against the Free Syrian Army as Western-backed factions distract the Islamic State from their fight with Assad, and forced the West to rely on Russian influence. North Korea’s recent nuclear test has empowered China by forcing the US and its allies to rely on Chinese intervention against its ally. |
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