Leadership transition in China

China is currently facing its once-in-a-decade transfer of power. The leaders of the Communist Party under lead of Hu Jintao will retire, and a new generation so-called 5^th generation will take the over under lead of Xi Jinping.

The sweeping changes come in a critical time in China’s modern history. The economic model that has enabled decades of rapid growth having become unsustainable, social unrest is rising and international resistance to China’s policies is increasing. Already reported social issues in regards to an aging population, as well as international conflicts with Japan, spurs the domestic unrest.

Power transitions in the People’s Republic of China have always been fraught with uncertainty. This is a consequence of the fact that the state’s founding leader, Mao Zedong, did not establish a formal succession process before he died, creating power struggles and a lack of institutionalized procedures for power transition.

The 5^th generation of Chinese leaders has been shaped by a time period in which China has prioritized to become a global economic power and increase industrial progress. The new leadership is by many scholars seen as increasingly nationalistic and is expected to expand the military budget.

The generation shift in Chinese politics is a very important event in global history – apart from the fact that the Chinese policies will affect the whole world as the second largest economy, the uncertainty and lack of institutionalized procedures for leadership transition can give incentive for the government to state its power and legitimacy. The Communist Party’s leaders are eager to prove the case that their authorial system can manage China better than a multiparty democracy could. Mobilizing public support has historically been done by creating a stronger national identity nationalistic propaganda. The current instability between Japan and China may take a dangerous turn if China is becoming increasingly military and nationalistic. Adding to it, the American military politics has shifted focus from the Middle East to the Pacific Rim. This makes the Chinese military policies even more determining for the country’s international relationships.

En vecka på boarding school

En vecka – en evighet. Jag har precis upplevt den mest intensiva och lärorika veckan i hela mitt liv. I måndags anlände jag till Westminster School i Connecticut. Första kvällen blev jag bjuden på en grillkväll med de andra internationella studenterna. Nick från Jamaica, modeälskare som vill bli journalist, Laila från Egypten, professionell squashspelare, Glam från Korea, datageni, och så många fler inspirerande och välkomnande människor.

Mitt rum ligger nära matsalen och klassrummet – en sådan lyx för då kan jag gå ner till frukosten på 30 sek! Det är stort och jag ska förhoppningsvis lyckas fylla det med ännu fler dekorationer, mönster och praktiska ting de kommande månaderna. Min room mate Chandler är precis som en room mate ska vara; trevlig, hjälpsam, rolig och självständig! I min korridor bor förutom jag och Chandler fyra seniors. Hale är bland de roligaste människorna jag träffat och Caitlin är korridorens lillmamma som tar hand om oss alla! Jag känner mig så trygg här och jag kan verkligen vara mig själv.

Min supervisor, Ms Ó Brien, kunde inte vara sötare och trevligare. Hon har redan hjälpt mig med så mycket! Alla lärare på skolan är så otroligt hjälpsamma. Häromkvällen kom till och med min mattelärare, Mr Doucette, hem till mitt rum för att hjälpa mig med lite nya termer och formler! Matten kommer bli en utmaning, det är svårt när alla regler har andra namn… Men jag känner attt jag kommer klara det.

Lektionerna startade i torsdags. 6 introduktions lektioner lyckades trots sin korta tid att ge ett ton med läxor till dagen efter. Först blev jag överväldigad, på ett bra sätt, men överväldigad. Organiserad som jag föredrar att vara blev jag stressad då jag ännu inte riktigt hittat mitt system, min organisation. Men efter en vecka har det lagt sig, nu har jag koll på läget. Till skillnad från de första två nätter sover jag nu jätte bra, vilket är otroligt skönt.

Mina kurser jag kunde ta kunde inte locka mig mer. Jag har aldrig träffat en mer inspirerande historielärare, min komparativa politik bok har blivit mitt gosedjur och att skriva en uppsats i moralfilosofi om hur man finner balans i livet kunde inte passa mig bättre! På tal om det ska jag påminna mig själv om att faktiskt unna mig själv min egen tid också, att få fortsätta läsa tidningen på morgonen trots att jag har mycket att göra. Att fortsätta skriva på den här bloggen.

Jag ska försöka att starta en ”Election 2012” organisation här. Jag inser verkligen här hur mycket jag brinner för samhällskunskap, politik och diskussioner. Jag har hittills blivit känd på skolan som den trevliga tjejen från Sverige som alltid är glad och pratar med alla – vilket stämmer in rätt så bra på mig just nu! Jag trivs så himla bra med mig själv och mina egenheter att jag bara sprutar av energi!

Jag har lärt känna Dominica från Korea, en så trevlig tjej som delar min passion för Starbucks. Idag gick vi ner till ”staden” och bara pratade om våra liv och våra olika uppväxter. Jimmy, en supersnygg gymnast, ska jag träffa ikväll för att diskutera vår läxa i Comparative Government. Jag har träffat så många härliga människor som jag bara längtar efter att lära känna ännu mer.

Igår var det lördag kväll och dags för dans. Det var fantastiskt att bara släppa loss all energi. Jag behövde det! Åh vad jag älskar att dansa.

Jag kan fortsätta skriva och skriva, för mina intryck är så många och tankar oräkneliga. Men nu ska jag bege mig iväg på ännu fler äventyr.

Kärlek från andra sidan Atlanten  

Scrutinizing the GOP breaks the enchantment

The latest three days I have had the opportunity to watch and listen to the Republican National Convention. In front of the huge patriotic crowds filled with cowboy hats and American flags have the well-prepared and carefully elected speakers presented their view on the world and the present president.

The praise was not overwhelming, as expected. All Republicans argued that the President Obama had failed brutally. What the country needed was, in their perspective, someone who understood business. Someone who valued the American culture and had a clearer foreign policy in accordance with the American standpoints. Someone who, instead of raising taxes, would spur the economic growth in the country and create jobs. Someone like Mitt Romney.

Mitt Romney held during the convent’s final evening his speech, accepting the nomination. The speech was in no manners bad. Romney gave a pragmatic impression and emphasized his experience in business. He presented his life story in a humble way to strengthen the recognition factor, and he turned to the women to win their support. Even I, in the heat of the moment, couldn’t disagree with the fact that many of his arguments seemed fair.

However, as one scrutinizes the true political standpoints behind Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, the enchantment is broken.   

First, the social issues. The GOP opposes government-funded health care. Also the Democrats see the importance of competition in health care for development and concurrence. This has historically provided America with great front-edge competence when it comes to advanced surgery and medical knowledge. However, what America lacks today, is a well-functioning health care system for all citizens. This is necessary for a modern country - it is everyone’s right to receive the health care they need now and the preventing health care that will stop the deceases even before they become the case for an elite doctor. Romney and Ryan are against gay marriage, as well as abortion. Enforcing these policies would be a step backwards, instead of forward.

Second, the environmental aspects. In contrast with President Obama, Mitt Romney does not see the environmental issues ad a top priority. Saying that America will be energy independent in 2020 means continuing drilling oil and gas and not taking sufficient long-term environmental decisions.

Third, the foreign policy. In his speech, Romney praised Obama for him ending the life of Osama bin Laden; however, he accused him for being too nice to China and Russia, for not handling the tensions with Iran and for not interfering in Syria. The Syria part I might agree on, the world should interfere. However, it is not America’s responsible only. Saying that “the world should be more like America” is not always the right approach. The patriots of the country needs to realize that different countries have different paths toward liberal democracy and freedom, overthrowing dictators and enforcing elections is not always the right way to go. Obama is more humble in his international relations, necessary today in the more and more globalized world where countries will have to cooperate. America acting as the world police belong to the past, America being an important part of the modern world is what belongs to today.

I could come up with many more arguments, and that is what I will do in this blog the following months before the Presidential Election in the United States of America.  I will not show my support to President Obama by donating money, I will show my support by arguing for the politics of the Democratic Party. 

Djupsinnade tankar

Jag kunde inte sova i natt. Jag tror att det var på grund av all förväntan som fyllde upp mig från tårna. Så mycket som händer och så många intryck. Vanligtvis när jag går och lägger mig här om nätterna är jag dödstrött och sover som en stock natten ut. Men inte denna gång. Denna natt sitter jag i köket i ett helt nytt hus med en jordnötssmör och banan macka och skriver. Som tur var kunde varken jag eller min nya syster Rosie sova, så vi tassade ner till det vackra och gigantiska träköket klockan 3 på morgonen och satt och åt blåbär med granola tillsammans och pratade. Trots att vi är olika när det kommer till hur mycket glitter i föredrar, så har vi också otroligt mycket gemensamt. Min granne i Cape Cod, som förövrigt är journalist, lånade mig en fantastisk dokumentär om barnslaveri som jag och Rosie såg tillsammans. Efteråt var i så arga och uppfyllda att vi satt och diskuterade i en halvtimme!

Jag har nu tillbringat 15 dagar i USA. Det känns som en evighet och samtidigt som ingen tid alls. Jag har redan skrivit hur häftig Orienteringen var, men jag tror jag måste göra det igen. Aldrig har jag träffat så många likasinnade och inspirerande människor på samma gång! Jag, som inte blir stressad av att andra människor är motiverade, utan sporrad, fick aldrig nog av att prata med alla. Pauline, min tyska rumskompis, skulle slutföra gymnasiet på förkortad tid och hade redan sökt in till Cambridge för att studera genetik – hur coolt!? Väl tillbaka i Sverige ska jag verkligen hålla kontakten med alla svenska stipendiater – vi har så mycket gemensamt. Alla ungdomar från världens hörn var så otroligt medvetna om situationerna i deras länder, och jag fick mycket material med mig till min kommande kurs i komparativ politik.

Under orienteringsdagarna slog det mig hur trygg jag faktiskt är i mig själv och hur bekväm jag känner mig med att tala engelska, möta människor och ta initiativ.

Jag kunde inte tänka mig en bättre värdfamilj än Wetzels. Redan första dagen kände jag mig hemma i deras hus. På tal om huset. Huset. Jag har aldrig sett en vackrare utsikt än den jag hade från Rosies fönster - tidvattnet, stranden, solnedgången. Jag har haft så många vackra stunder i Cape Cod, platsen för konst, hummer och intellekt. Jag ser verkligen upp till Abby, den äldsta systern. Hon har så många kloka åsikter och gör verkligen en skillnad i Ghana. Jag vet att hon kommer bli något stort.

Jag är så helhjärtat glad över att jag under våren jobbade med min förmåga att inte gör någonting. Vad härligt det är att bara vara!  Jag märker redan efter dessa 15 dagar att jag blir allt mer hemmastadd i mitt nya liv, jag kan skämta mer med familjen och tar mig fler friheter. Barb berömde mig igår när vi tog en kvällspromenad; ”Det är så skönt, du visar vad du vill på ett ödmjukt sätt samtidigt som du tar in vad gruppen vill också”. Komplimangen gick rakt till mitt hjärta, då jag i Sverige har en tendens att glömma bort gruppen ibland. Det känner jag redan att jag blivit bättre på.

Det faktum att jag sitter och skriver den här texten visar på hur mycket jag lär och kommer lära mig om mig själv under det här året. Förutom de nya politiska och samhällskritiska perspektiven får jag även nya spirituella perspektiv på min tillvaro. 

Perfektionister och krösusar i en ultimat blandning

Jag har en förmåga att aldrig kunna släppa att jag gjort ett fel köp. Jag köpte en skjorta på 22 dollar, motsvarande cirka 150 kronor, då jag med min värdfamilj gjorde ett besök i P-Town (förövrigt en fantastisk plats precis på udden av Cape Cod fylld med homosexualitet, sex och fredsbudskap).  Det är inte mycket pengar, jag spenderade samma summa på en makalöst god lobsterroll samma dag utan att blinka (som förövrigt avnjöts med havsutsikt och underbart sällskap). Trots det kan jag inte släppa det. Varför köpte jag den där skjortan, det var ju så onödigt…

Samma kväll tog jag en kvällspromenad på stranden i solnedgången med Barb, och jag tog upp det med henne. Hon hjälpte mig att förstå mitt beteende.

Jag är en perfektionist in i tåspetsarna, det är jag medveten om och har jobbat med hos mig själv. Jag har kommit otroligt långt i områden vad gäller skola, prestation och utseende. Det ä jag väldigt tacksam och stolt över. Men tänk om min perfektionism då har tagit sig andra uttryck? Som att inte vilja göra dåliga inköp… Krösusen i mig är självklart inblandad, med jag tror också att perfektionismen har en roll med i spelet.

Mitt förstå personliga mål för den här resan är att släppa på mitt kontrollbehov – det går som på räls hittills! Mitt andra mål ska bli att bekämpa min perfektionist ande i områden som tidigare varit bortglömda.

Jag tror, och det pratade jag också med Barb om, att det är otroligt viktigt för en själv som individ att sätta personliga mål. Detta både för den personliga utvecklingen och stimulansen. Jag kommer aldrig sluta tänka på varför jag känner och beter mig som jag gör. Det är nyckeln till att lära känna sig själv och att kunna överstiga de hinder som vi garanterat kommer möta i den labyrint vi kallar livet. 

Jag vägrar säga förlåt!

Jag gick till kyrkan med Barb i söndags; hon är aktiv i den Episkopala amerikanska kyrkan. Jag har inget emot tro, jag ser däremot fördelar i att ha ett spirituellt alternativ till vetenskapen. Till de som anser att utrotandet av religion skulle betyda färre krig fnyser jag – krig handlar om makt och pengar, inget annat. Ceremonin var vacker och känslan av samhörighet stor. Dock finns det en aspekt i den Episkopala tron som jag inte håller med om. Det är faktumet att den troende alltid ser sig som en syndare, som ständigt ber den perfekta Herren om förlåtelse. Jag ser mig inte som en syndare. Jag gör misstag, som alla andra, men jag står upp för mina handlingar och åsikter. Det är ingenting som man bör be om ursäkt för.

Varifrån kommer denna tanke om att människan syndar blott med att leva sitt vardagliga liv? Initialt var det ett sätt för de auktoritära kyrkoöverhuvudena att skapa sig mer makt. Jakten på förlåtelse skapade också en affärsmarknad då makthavarna tog sig friheten att ta betalt för välsignelser.

Idag har inte kyrkan längre någon politisk makt i samhället. Därför anser jag att tanken om att människan ständigt syndar är gammalmodig och passé. Om du vill ha förlåtelse för en viss handling du ångrar, be. Men du ska banne mig inte behöva be om förlåtelse för att vara människa! 

Raised voices, patriotism and God bless you all

Yesterday I saw the Republican convention on TV. I didn’t know what I had been expecting, however, I was still chocked by what I saw. The speakers urged the crowd to stand up, and they almost screamed out their pride of the wonderful nation of America. Finishing off with a “God Bless”, and they left the stage. The difference between a Swedish political speech and an American couldn’t be greater.

In Sweden, the political leaders are very controlled and pragmatic. They strengthen their arguments with statistics and nuanced perspectives. Raising your voice or losing control is illegitimate, only showing lack of professionalism or concrete arguments.

As one speaker at the convention was finished, the commentators were quick to scrutinize every detail of the politician’s moves and quotes. It felt almost like a sport event – and it was fun! (Compare that with the political debates in Sweden which requires large amounts of caffeine to get through…)

The purpose with the American conventions is not to give a controlled and pragmatic impression. The leaders want to gather support and stir the crowd. The people attending the conventions will probably be the volunteer workers or donors later in the campaign, and the parties need these for the more and more long and expensive campaigns.

In America, politics equals emotions. Is this good or bad? It can definitely engage people and make them take standpoints even though they are not particularly interested in politics. But it can also remove focus from what is really important, the politics itself. The risk is that the emotions take over the pragmatism which is necessary for long-term political decisions. Craving support and donations, the political leaders of today in America get more and more vulnerable to populism. 

Why some are religious and some aren't

A great difference I’ve noticed between America and Sweden is regarding religion and the practicing of belief. Religion is important to many Americans, and it is not uncommon to pray before dinner or go to church on a regular basis. In Sweden many see themselves as Christians, however, they do not practice their religion actively apart from the normal Christian traditions. (Which initial cause is often forgotten)

As I spoke with my host mother, she couldn’t believe that you could be a part of church without truly believing in your religion or practicing it actively. How come the religious traditions are so much stronger in America in comparison with the similarly modern Sweden?

There are many answers. The first may be connected to the history of the country of dreams: America was founded by pilgrims who fled religious suppression. What united the pilgrims was the search for refuge and free practice of religion. Thereby, as they settled, religion continued to be an important uniting factor in the society.

It is also a question of traditions and culture; if you are raised secular, you will probably continue raising your own children in the same way. If you prayed before dinner when you were a child, you most probably will try to keep those traditions alive. This explains the continual importance of the initially uniting religious practices of the early pilgrims in America.  

Another factor is the size of the two countries. America is huge in comparison to the small and safe country in the north. The American daily life is more confusing, you have more options, more people – more everything. This can cause confusion or a feeling of not being safe. Religion can answer the spiritual questions which science can’t, and in the large and young country of America, the spiritual questions may be of a larger amount than in Sweden. 

Hello from the US

No matter how interesting politics is in my opinion, some of my few readers at this blog may wonder what I have been up to during my first week in the Unites States of America.

I arrived in Boston August 15. The 9 hour flight felt like only a few minutes; I was traveling with the other 8 scholars from Sweden and we had plenty to talk about. I am amazed how ASSIST really is able to gather so many great individuals from around the globe. I have so much in common with all the scholars, not only the Swedish ones. We have been talking about life, politics, family, society and the future. We have been exchanging thoughts and ideas. I can't believe how many ambitious and talented people there are!

I am especially proud of how comfortable I was in speaking English immediately. (I actually got many compliments about my English!) Sweden should be very grateful to the fact that it doesn't translate TV-series and movies like many other countries do.

After 4 developing and amusing days (I especially enjoyed the day in Boston and the Harvard Tour) it was time for the final night. Every country would participate in a show called "Traditions of our Cultures", and lucky as I was, I got to be the Master of Ceremony! What an honor it was, and such a great beginning of my coming year filled with participation and engagement. At Westminster, I will take every opportunity possible to get involved in school activities.

After that it was time to leave and have even more great experiences. I was met up by my host family. The Wetzels is a wonderful family consisting of three daughters and their parents. Barb, the mother, is extremely caring and funny. I already feel like I can talk to her about everything. The father, Mark, is working many hours, and I admire him in his way to think pragmatically. His opinions are always well formulated and he has a great sense of humor. Rosie, the youngest of the three daughters, will be in the same grade as me. She is a very sparkling girl and also very nice. She loves dancing and we have been doing yoga together. Liza, the middle sister, is reading psychology at college. I truly admire her way of understanding people and she is one of the nicest persons I've ever met. Abby, the oldest, just came back from one year of teaching at a school in Ghana. You would never believe how many fantastic stories she has in storage to share! Being in Ghana gave her new perspectives of life, which she is able to share with us. Yesterday I had my first American political discussion. Abby is also very interested in politics, especially health care, and Mark is of course very well-read. It was so interesting to discuss American politics from an American point of view!

The Wetzels has a fantastic house just by the beach at Cape Cod. I have never seen such an amazing view, I almost have to hold my breath very time I wake up to the rising sun over the ocean. I have been paddle surfing, gone to the cinema, cooking, talking, laughing and simply been happy. This afternoon, when I took a swim in the ocean, I was filled with such a rush of happiness that I just had to scream out loud.

The other day I finally received my room assignments. Chandler Nemetz, my soon to be room mate, seems like such a nice girl and we have already been in contact! I can't wait to start decorating our dorm and start my life at Westminster. Actually, I am excited about studying and meeting the teachers and the students. I am planning on entering the Model United Nations; doing so will give me the opportunity to travel around America and meet other politically interested youths. I also hope that I will be able to write for the school's newspaper.

Cultural differences? Definitely. When I told the family that I had never been screaming at my mum they couldn't believe me. Communicating is more passionate here, and I enjoy it. (However I have not experienced the screaming part yet) Patriotism is flourishing; I see American flags wherever I turn my head. Religion is more important (belief is important to Barb and we pray before every dinner). The list could continue.

What I do want to say with this post though, is how happy I am. Now I will have another one of those amazing peanut butter banana sandwiches, and continue embracing the wonders of just being alive. 

The future of freedom

I have read the book "The future of freedom, Illiberal democracy at home and abroad" by Fareed Zakaria. Honestly spoken, it was one of the best and most thought provoking books I have ever read. I made myself the pleasure to write a review of the book, organized by chapter.

Introduction

I thought the introduction to the book was very good since it made the reader curious and started to think about the meaning of the introduction. What it really described was how economy with nonpolitical, independent banks work today. In my opinion, it is necessary for a modern society to have a nonpolitical banking system in order to work and have legitimacy.

Introduction: The Democratic Age

What amazed me in the first chapter was the fact that you can apply democratization to all aspects in today’s society. But is the fact that quantity has become quality only positive? No, since it can create populism in politics and spur consuming that is not sustainable in the long term.  

I had never thought of the difference between democracy and liberty; the terms are often connected, which the author also mentions. However, it is important to highlight the difference between the terms. Maybe enforcing elections in developing, unstable countries is not the best way to increase freedom and human rights? Not in my opinion, and neither in the author’s.

The chapter also mentions the strong tradition of freedom in the US, which truly explains the strong opposition against today’s changes in the country, for example regarding Medicare.

As in all cases, there can always be too much of a good thing.

Chapter 1: A Brief History of Human Liberty

Zakaria really takes the honor away from Greece, which in many books is regarded as the birthplace of democracy. I was really struck by the sections about the Catholic Church and its importance. Even though many see the church as illiberal, we also have to thank it for the thought of dividing power, which is necessary for freedom.

The connection between Europe’s geography and its democratic traditions and development was very interesting. Is also reflected the importance of concurrence in society for development, as well as a middle class for a scrutinizing of the fractions with more power. To enrich and create a middle class, you need a free market. This is in line with the author’s statement that economic liberty should come before political liberty. To put it simply: first free market, then middle class, then division of power, then liberty.

Chapter 2: The Twisted Path

The second chapter reflects upon the possible dark side of democratic elections: the rise of parties with populist, racist or simply not sustainable views. Democracy is not be the best alternative, if the country itself is too unstable and lacks democratic traditions. The author continues to strengthen the statement that there exists a lowest level of economic development for a country to sustain a liberal democracy. This is logical, as in the human nature we are taught to prioritize our needs – with survival in first hand. It is only when those needs are secured that we can think of the group and contribute to liberty and well-being for all citizens.

I was struck by the difference between earned wealth and wealth that came from natural resources or aid from other countries. If a country doesn’t have to earn wealth, it doesn’t have to tax its citizens. Therefore, the state has no obligations towards the population. Thereby, the state and its economic and social systems will not develop. This explains why many countries struggle today, as well as the dark side of western countries “helping” countries by sending them money without further thought.

China is interesting in the way that economic liberalization has reached very far; however, it has not lead to vast political changes yet. Time will show if it will. In my opinion, China will need to liberalize its political structure in line with the economic liberalization since the people will claim it, communications improve and globalization increases.  

Chapter 3: Illiberal Democracy

The connection between economic development and liberal democracy flourishes throughout the book. Russia is an example of where the democratic attempts happened too early. This leads to illiberal democracies. The author, in line with my opinion, suggests that “what Africa needs more urgently than democracy is good governance”.

The section about India suggests that even though a country do have political elections, the country can still be corrupt, intolerant, illiberal and without a legitimate judicial system. West tends to romanticize India due to its “democratic progress”, but what about the progress when it comes to freedom?

Since elections require politicians to compete for people’s votes, politicians will use the easiest and most efficient way to organize support; often on racial, ethnic or religious lines since that is easy applicable for people.

I disagree with the author on page 118 where the author claims: “nowhere will it be more important that the United States get it right”. Why does America see it as their responsibility to “get it right” in other countries around the world? As a major nation there are obligations, and it is good that America recognizes them. However, the rest of the world argues that America sometimes takes on too many responsibilities on their shoulders… This was also shown at page 136.

Chapter 4: The Islamic Exception

The introduction to the chapter is interesting since it really reflects the difficulties with enforcing human rights in authorial nations with firm dictators. On the other hand, the author also describes the dark side of overthrowing a totalitarian ruler: an even worse alternative like the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

The sections about Islam were very interesting. According to me, western media does not succeed in giving a nuanced perspective of the religion. When Islam is mentioned in media, it is often in connection with terrorism, extremism or suppression of women. One cannot determine the nature of Islam, since Islam like any other religion is not what the books say, but what interpretations you make of the texts and religious customs.

I agree with the author when he says that religious fundamentalism is a consequence by failure of political institutions. And one of his best conclusions was in my opinion regarding why you cannot rule society with religion: In religion it is right or wrong, black or white. Politics is on the other hand all about compromising.

Chapter 5: Too Much of a Good Thing

I was very interested in the chapters about America since it felt very current to me currently living in America for a year. Why have the Americans lost faith in their democracy? It is shown since fewer people vote, fewer engage themselves and more and more people express their distrust and dislike of American politics. I think the American system has become too open. With reforms such as the primary elections mean that now it is the people who choose the candidates, not the party. This has made political parties unexciting in America. Political parties can accumulate interest groups to rational politics, but now, individuals cannot stand behind a sustainable suggestion only since their party does it.  As the political party declines further, being rich and famous will become even more important.  Everything is focused on gaining support.

How do candidates gain support? It is gained through short term political decisions and easy applicable standpoints. In other words, the American system has become too democratized and has gotten a disease called populism. Raising money has become the fundamental activity of a political campaign. In my point of view, this is wrong. The focus should instead be on the politics!

Chapter 6: The Death of Authority

Comparing economic systems in Sweden and USA is very interesting. Sweden has the world’s highest tax rates, but also one of the most developed welfare systems. America, on the other hand, lacks a welfare system but has through concurrence increased front-edge competence in different areas (such as health care).

 Religion in the two countries differs. Going to church is more common in America, as well as putting great emphasis in your belief. Why is that? Traditions are shaped in your childhood, but when did it really start? I don’t think belief ever will disappear. No matter how much we know scientifically, science will never be able to answer some spiritual questions. People want and need guidance in life which today becomes more and more chaotic. But why is America, such a modern country, so much more religious in comparison with the similarly modern Sweden?

The educational systems also differ significantly. If the American was characterized by elevating people rather than bringing standards down, Sweden is the opposite. Everything is adapted to “the group” and the ones who need more challenges and seldom embraced. This prevents Sweden from creating the front-edge competence it needs to compete with other fast developing countries. However, USA might consider offering good education for all individuals no matter economic situation…

Conclusion: The Way Out

The whole book focuses on the dark side of democratization, meaning that the deregulation of it has gone too far. In order to break the negative curve, governments have to go against the temptation to pander and enact policies for the long run. But in order for them to do so, the public needs to show that it will stand behind those sustainable decisions. Therefore, it all comes down to the individual. We all are responsible of how we want to shape the future.

The quote “almost every success story in the developing world has taken place under a liberal authoritarian regime” suggests that the world needs to rethink its policies in developing countries. Is “democracy” always the best solution to all issues? The answer is no; bringing freedom is not about getting rid of the tyrant, it is about building scrutinizing institutions, dividing power and creating legitimate economic and judicial systems. I would like to finish this review with a quote: “First order, then liberty”.