Ainda sobre a excelência da democracia [e a sua crise]

Ralf Dahrendorf once defined the developed part of the word at its peakin the twentieth century as a successful combination of three positive characteristics. It was made up of economies that ensured the good life for a large number of people, societies that encouraged individualism and competition without destroying the smaller communities in which the individuals lived, and political programmes that inseparably linked the rule of law to principles of democracy.

The inhabitants of Western Europe and North America - the industrially advanced ‘First World’ was concentrated primarily in these two regions - in contrast to people in the ‘Second World’ (‘real socialism’) and the ‘Third World’ (the developing countries), had comparatively equal economic opportunities as well as a social framework in which civil societies were able to develop stimulating mutual relationships. All people, without exception, also had guaranteed political freedoms, which was the historic cumulative result of the class struggles that had lasted several decades and two world wars. One of the main causes of both these wars was the very conflict with the systemic inequality between individuals and societies.

Um texto fundamental de Mojca Murko, socióloga e membro do Parlamento Europeu a ler aqui.