Читать книгу THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY - Steve Zolno - Страница 17

The Second Millennium – but a bleep in the total time of human existence – produced the greatest progress toward democratic institutions and government of any period, but also has generated the greatest number of wars and casualties.

As this period opened, the western world began to emerge from what many historians consider its darkest period and seemed on the verge of becoming a more civilized society. There was progress toward a greater appreciation of the talents and abilities of the individual, yet persecutions of those who did not fit the mainstream were rampant despite growing proclamations of humanism. As populations expanded, lands became more settled which led to the gradual creation of national borders.

We began to live in larger and more organized societies with more elaborate rules and laws. Yet our tendency toward aggression remained unconquered – in both individuals and nations – as we repeatedly attempted to expand our influence and borders at the expense of others. We promoted models of behavior that preached tolerance, yet were forced to live with the results of the intolerance we practiced.

The democratic ideal – government guided by the recognition of the value of each individual – became established to the greatest extent in Western Europe during this period, then spread to the New World, with less democratic influence the further one goes east. That said, there continued to be conflicting elements between greater and lesser degrees of democracy in every region on earth.