02/22/08

Democracy is kick-ass.

Why, you might ask, do I make such a redundant and wildly agreeable statement? Well, for those of you who don’t keep up with current affairs or world news (roughly 98-99 percent of Baker students), democracy is having a big week.

Let me share with you some major stories of the United States’ greatest export after Coca-Cola and carbon dioxide emissions.

On Sunday, the region of Kosovo voted in its parliament to declare itself an autonomous nation independent of the country of Serbia. The Serbians have been beating down on Kosovo and its people for years and had to be ousted by NATO in 1999 following a period of war and genocide.

Under a European Union provisional government and continued NATO military protection, the people of Kosovo now have a chance to form their own country free of violence and intimidation. It’s a little something called self-determination, and the United States, France and much of the Western world have already acknowledged Kosovo’s independence. Who hasn’t? Serbia (duh), China (they don’t want Taiwan to get uppity) and Russia (ruled by an ex-KGB prick) are all opposed. Here’s wishing a big “good luck” to the little eastern European nation that could.

Despite the usual news coming out of the country, Pakistan’s government is technically democratic and not – in theory – a dictatorship. On Monday, despite suicide bombings, political assassinations and the fashion faux pas of wearing a burka after Groundhog’s Day, thousands of resilient Pakistani citizens turned out to vote. Their tallied ballots were a major defeat for the party of longtime president and war on terror superstar Musharraf. After a year of re-invigorated Taliban activity and economic woes, Pakistan could definitely benefit from the free and fair election of a new coalition government.

It’s just sad that Benazir Bhutto, who for so long championed reform for her country, was not alive to see it.

Thanks mostly to European imperialism, Africa has had a long and terrible history of injustice and despotism. This week some small, but not inconsiderable, steps were taken toward a better future. Secretary of State and frumpy foreign policy savant Condoleezza Rice recently traveled to Kenya to offer major economic incentives to the struggling nation if the government and opposition party can come together in their negotiations and form a united and peaceful government.

For once it is refreshing for the United States to be a positive and visible force overseas and not just a purveyor of growth hormone enhanced McCrap. Ms. Rice’s visit occurred during President Bush’s tour of the African continent, where he has proclaimed that the United States will step up its efforts to help the troubled region. It’s too bad for President Bush that his efforts will largely be ignored both by a world still angry over his Iraq-related missteps, and an American public that has already moved on to finding his successor.

Finally, this week the media have reported signs of democracy and progress within a group that has been a bastion of ignorance, indifference and decadence since the mid 1960s: American young people. Earlier this week, a New York Times article reported that the 2008 presidential campaign has stirred up a revival of political awareness and involvement among 18-24-year-olds that could signal a shift in young peoples’ interests from paparazzi to policy.

The Times’ article suggested that the new wave of astuteness amongst our historically apathetic generation could be fueled by the presence of a young, vigorous and unifying presidential candidate whom I must decline to name for partisan reasons. If the United States is going to continue – or return to – being the world’s greatest philosophical expounder of liberty, then surely American 20-somethings have got to get back in the game.

Yeah, the world has got plenty of regions where freedom isn’t exactly available on the dollar menu, but let me tell you the good news. In 1776, at the behest of the Continental Congress, Tom Jefferson put a principle down on paper: everybody everywhere deserves to be free.

That idea has lit the dreams of the world ever since. It is good to know that after almost 232 years, America and the world are still – at least – making progress.