Pulse en una miniatura para ir a Google Books.
Cargando... Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedompor Condoleezza Rice
Ninguno Cargando...
Inscríbete en LibraryThing para averiguar si este libro te gustará. Actualmente no hay Conversaciones sobre este libro. Highly readable, engaging summary by former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on democracy, and how countries transition from non-democratic to democratic. She provides many examples from her career, providing a personal bent to many of the stories of transition. Stories include Kenya, Ukraine, Poland, Columbia, Arab states and more. She ends with an overview from 2016 (when this book was written) that includes perceptions of challenges to democracy even here in the US, but nevertheless ends on a hopeful note. Others have called this book dry, or suggested it's hard going in parts, but I didn't find it so at all. I must admit I did set it down half way through to pick up a short novel that I finished before coming back to it, but both halves of this book went by quickly. Loved this book! If you are interested in the historical perspective of the current state of affairs in Russia, Ukraine, much of the Middle East, as well as other parts of the world, you will want to read this book. Also, Rice makes a strong case for the vital importance of institutions in democracies, both those that are mature and fledgling. At this period of unprecedented distrust of institutions, Rice offers a strong defense of such while reaffirming the need for accountability to “we the people”. It is interesting to compare this work with Ms Rice's earlier work, No Higher Honor. Clearly, with Democracy, the Professor is in high gear; with No Higher Honor, there were many forces at work. It would be great if we get her back into government; failing that, then others like her. The book is an overview of the state of democracy over the world. She certainly steps in the tracks of WinstonChurchill's view of democracy but he also suggests steps that might be taken, locally, to improve.
Condoleezza Rice has written a report, Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom, on the tragic failure of democratic movements in the Middle East, Russia, and elsewhere, but with the sad bits left out. So convinced is she of democracy’s inevitable triumph that every story has a happy ending.
"From the former secretary of state and bestselling author -- a sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must continue to support the cause of human freedom. From the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the ongoing struggle for human rights in the Middle East, Condoleezza Rice has served on the front lines of history. As a child, she was an eyewitness to a third awakening of freedom, when her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, became the epicenter of the civil rights movement for black Americans. In this book, Rice explains what these epochal events teach us about democracy. At a time when people around the world are wondering whether democracy is in decline, Rice shares insights from her experiences as a policymaker, scholar, and citizen, in order to put democracy's challenges into perspective. When the United States was founded, it was the only attempt at self-government in the world. Today more than half of all countries qualify as democracies, and in the long run that number will continue to grow. Yet nothing worthwhile ever comes easily. Using America's long struggle as a template, Rice draws lessons for democracy around the world -- from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, to Kenya, Colombia, and the Middle East. She finds that no transitions to democracy are the same because every country starts in a different place. Pathways diverge and sometimes circle backward. Time frames for success vary dramatically, and countries often suffer false starts before getting it right. But, Rice argues, that does not mean they should not try. While the ideal conditions for democracy are well known in academia, they never exist in the real world. The question is not how to create perfect circumstances but how to move forward under difficult ones. These same insights apply in overcoming the challenges faced by governments today. The pursuit of democracy is a continuing struggle shared by people around the world, whether they are opposing authoritarian regimes, establishing new democratic institutions, or reforming mature democracies to better live up to their ideals. The work of securing it is never finished"-- No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
Debates activosNingunoCubiertas populares
Google Books — Cargando... GénerosSistema Decimal Melvil (DDC)321.8Social sciences Political Science Political Systems RepublicClasificación de la Biblioteca del CongresoValoraciónPromedio:
¿Eres tú?Conviértete en un Autor de LibraryThing. |
This book politically neutral until the very last chapter (which is still mild). You can tell Ms. Rice is an incredible professor. She certainly supports the idea that the U.S. needs to assist these emerging democracies, but she doesn't hit you over the head with her own biases, but rather shares stories that gently lead the reader to their own conclusion.
This book is very accessible to the mainstream reader, and I would absolutely recommend it. I only give it three stars because I fear readers may find it dry, but it is clearly and concisely presented. ( )