How Not to Save the World

In the several cases where democracy has emerged in spite of all opposition the immediate precursor has been an expansive economic system both as a whole and per capita that makes infrastructural improvements. This is then followed by a period that for whatever reason abruptly destabilizes these gains and unites men across geographic and class boundaries to unite in a manner that is consistent, perceived as just, and based on laws that everyone can understand- from the most brilliant of wealthy aristocrats to the poorest peasant. It would seem to me, that if we truely wish to spread democracy, that it is this set of circumstances we should try to emulate a bit more. Limit population growth, increase household and regional GDP, and increase self reliance without being excessive about it and promote the idea of consistent inforcement of just laws regardless of class or tribe and the whole world would be democratic, stable, and prosperous in no time.

What Mr Zakaria might have missed in his discussion is the fact that there is one other dominant factor in practising an 'ideal' democracy.This is to re-literate the literates in a country.In Bangladesh there are plenty of fertile lamds to plow and farmers do get the chance of cultivated them rightly.However lack of literate people having proper experise in this area made the two words 'poverty' and 'Bangladesh' an inseperable twins.
And added to the fact that many a educated person in this corner of the world often find it embarrasing to have any connotation of the word 'farmer' pervading around them.This group often have have vast amount of inherited land but dismisses farming a unworthwhile practise people by implying that it is not appropriate to the modern sophicated culture.As a result huge plots of land are set idle or not properly cultivated. It is sometimes ironic that while the western world yearns for organic food ,Bangladesh does not need to do anything to get a mound of rice for instance.Its land is so fertile that if any person defeacates unintentionally in any place other than the toilet , and that feaces is left uncleared it doesnot barely take a fortnight for a guava tree or any other plantation for instance to regrow from that lump of feaces.So all that that is required is proper delberation by the educated people in the field of farming which would at enable this part of the world to prosper economically .

Land reform is vitally important. The earth belongs to all of us, country by country. To the extent that we permit its monopolization by a few of us, we have a very unfree society. Henry George called attention to this primary cause of poverty nearly 130 years ago, in a fine book called Progress & Poverty. He saw in earlier phases many things that confront us today -- and told us how to do land reform.

Look for Progress & Poverty -- it will give you new lenses with which to understand what we see around us, and hope for a better future and a better world. The book is online at dot org, and an audio version is available at hgchicago dot org slash audio. look also for wealthandwant and lvtfan. You'll find a new world of (old) answers to eternal questions.

The Bush Depression


In a few weeks we will make a choice that will decide our future.
I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
Also, he perfectly predicted the current real estate market meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen in the next couple years
is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide the largest morgage bank in the world,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch which are 3 out of the top 5 wall street firms. Also, Fanny and Freddy Mae which hold 50 percent of the home loans in the United States.
The government took them over because they are essentially bankrupt.If they didn't the entire financially system would virtually shut down, the stock market would crash and we would suffer beyond what any of us have seen before.

McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand exactly what is broken.
It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use complex mathematical models very few people understand.
Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.

Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He either didn't care or didn't realize that anything was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime.
It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a surplus like Bush did but a tanking economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit.Bush created a national debt larger then the first 42 presidents combined
If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
So why isnt obama 25 points ahead

The chairman of McCains campaign recently said that people don't vote on issues they vote on a personality composite. Which means he is trying to sell you personality instead of results.

Let's teach him we are smarter than that .

31 states are voting now, dont wait
Elect Obama Biden 2008





Check out this video of sarah palins interview before you vote



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4i

Excuse me but we must know the truth(Ps.147:4--KJV) and all we have to do to mature past childhood greed and lust is to program financial mangement to flip these stars/planets to have a debt free Universe, but wait check JohnEllis.com to have a pollution/pathogen free planet as well. I've lived with brain damage from the military for 35 years and no pain no gain or the truth hurts is enough right? Lots more.... Contact:
sat69@live.com

Excuse me but this planet and all the other stars/planets are already spoken for(Ps.147:4--KJV) all we have to do is program financial management to flipping them beyond childhood greed and lust to live in a debt free Universe, but wait check JohnEllis.com to live on a polluton/pathogen free planet as well. I've lived 35 years with brain damage from military and no pain no gain or the truth hurts is enough so please think again!! Lots more .... Contact:
sat69@live.com

This is ridiculous. First, you assume Bush's interests are to "foster democracy", when they are at odds with almost half of the South American governments, all democratically elected (by way higher percentages than him).

Your example about Haiti is so wrong. The US has not fought for democracy in that country. The US refused to recognize their independence for close to 60 years. Then it invaded and occupied the country for 20 years and when it left, it put in power one of the bloodiest dictators known to the Western Hemisphere (the Duvaliers). The US supported them to the very end.

Then, Haitians elected Jean Bertrand Aristide, their first democratically elected president ever! And what did the US do? It fomented a coup in 2004 that overthrew him.

The US does not stand for democracy anywhere, unless it suits its interests. And it will support the most atrocious tyrants easily as long as they are "allies".

Further, the US is not one to come talking about democracy anywhere, when it goes and kills civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Your comment is totally disingenuous, and talks about a country that does not exist. Your version of the US is only accepted by small elites and journalists who like to promote this particular narrow minded vision. Most people in the world find your claims laughable.

To analogize Mr. Zakaria's land reform thesis to Iraq, it would seem that a similar democratizing effect would be to privatize Iraq's oil industry. The distribution of dividend paying stock in these companies to say, registered Iraqi voters and the creation of a market to trade them would achieve the described goals of individual empowerment, greater efficiency ( or at least less corruption ) and possibly, more civility.

To analogize Mr.Zakaria's land reform concept to Iraq, it would seem that a policy of privatizing Iraq' s oil industry, distributing dividend paying shares of this/these company(ies) to say, all Iraqi registered voters and creating an exchange to trade them would achieve a similar effect of creating a more civil, efficient society with power not as centralized and corrupting.

What has history taught us ?
People desire freedom and liberty more than anything else.
During almost 2000 years , the parting greeting of the Jew was 'next year in Jerusalem'.
The French people abandoned to poverty and tyranny had to storm the Bastille and get rid of an opulent monarchy . Thus was born , ' Liberty , Equality and Fraternity '
The Americans unjustly taxed and oppressed by colonial England had to resort to war after peacefully trying to make the English monarchy see sense through negotiations .
The racist , fascist. , communist Sinhala Lankans can never ever win this war .
Even if they succeed to take back some territories , the Tamil Eelam government will be setup in exile . Like the oppressed South Africans did , during the abnoxious Apartheid of the Dutch , by forming an ANC government in exile.
Many of the world's woes should be solved by liberating Kurdistan, Scotland .....

When Zakaria says that ???Properly done, the process for the first time puts land???the largest asset in most societies???into the marketplace,??? I would point you to the work of Agros International, at www.agros.org.

Working at Agros International, a US based nonprofit working to provide land ownership for the rural poor throughout Central America and Mexico, we've seen the profound impact that land ownership has for the rural poor in the developing world. Land is fundamental - as a place of permanence, a place of economic resource through farming, and as a place to rebuild the essential connections that break down under extreme poverty. There are many approaches to land reform, but we???ve found that private land reform; providing credit for land and the technical training needed to work the land so families can repay the loans through earned profits, is a powerful way for entire communities to escape the literal tyranny of poverty.

I would suggest that the larger and more problematic question of spreading democracy really must be viewed through a local perspective. First and foremost the indigenous, rural poor are often more concerned with food security, shelter, access to basic services first, and to ensure the sustainability of any land reform intervention it is the people themselves who must be empowered as key stakeholders. But for this to happen, freedom from the crushing despair of poverty and the questions of how to feed your children who are crying themselves to sleep because of an empty belly ??? these are the kinds of first questions that must be answered before adequately addressing the secondary questions of political benefit???.

If the solution is so simple and only involve 5 things then this world would have been a paradise long, long time ago. The solution is to have the political will by the world leaders. But how can this happen when the only superpower is waging war after war complete with destruction and hardships. How can the world leaders concentrate on development for their people and countries when there is a never ending threat from the self proclaimed superpower?

I don't think Mr. Zakaria would argue that there is a single solution, or that the same solution would work in all cases. I'm still trying to figure out what the 5 things are. I can only count 3 here. But I do love how people like the guy below refute things with irrelevant rhetorical questions and say that Americans need to stop teaching or lecturing the rest of the world about democracy. Nevermind the fact that Fareed grew up in India and has a PhD from Harvard in Government. His nationality/ethnicity are irrelevant, what matters is he's a scholar on the subject and knows what he's talking about. Concentration of land is a huge factor. And paired with it, concentration of resources - most notably water. Sure, this article is a bit of an oversimplification, but what do you expect in 600 words? Lastly, it is interesting that the people taking issue with this article don't really have an answer. It's a complex problem, we all know that. But what's the point in making a comment unless you have constructive dialogue?

Zakaria's article is so wrong, Land-ownership has little to nothing to do with real democracy. First, haiti as any other country has to free itself from the outside world, especially, the westerns' world. Second, they have to be self-reliance, produce and patronize themselves, and work for the common good. Third, their political and foreign policy systems have to be redefined from abusing, exploiting and opressing their people to uplifting, serving, and protecting them. Third, they need leaders like Jean Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint Louverture, who truly loved enough to sacrifice even themselves for them, and had great masterful leadership to freeing them economically and socially. Instead of relying on the leeched-leaders that the Western community place upon their lands to continue exploiting, deterring and perilling them more. As Zakaria stated in his article, " Haiti, where the United States has attempted to foster democracy on and off for almost a century???with almost no success." But how did Jean Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint L'Ouverture free them from one of the world greatest tyrant (Napoleon) within a decade? Fourth, their educators have to be taught as their mission to go to educate the masses to better themselves and contribute to their country, then, freedom and democracy will emerge as a return. Fifth, Americans have to stop teaching or lecturing the rest of the world about democracy and prosperous because your country is still lacked of them. Blacks, Asians, Muslims, females, Hispanics, and homosexuals have experienced nothing but hypocracy and oppression from you, guys. Malcom X, said it the best. US supposely, is the democratic country, never one of a genre has been elected as a president or V.P. or ever been happy with your system or satisfied with it, while many other countries have many and haiti is one of them. Also, there is a reason that most of them are filled up the prisons, jails, death row, poor schools, welfare, ghettos, and menial jobs system and not promissing places, and there is also a reason that you guys, exploit and sanction the rest of the world to turmoil, poverty and financial crisis.

The land controvercy in india over 300 acres of fertile agricultural land taken over by the government,for the
ambitious NANO car project, is a live case which is unfolding.The central issue here is whether agriculture
should yield its land to industry in the hope of a better economic tomorrow or it should till the soil for its benefit.
your arguement is vague on the issue as to who should be the beneficiary-the tiller or the millowner.Land is an
emotive issue in a functioning democracy like India.it is grappling with the land distribution issue among its
various stakeholders,and different stratagies have been adopted by the various state governments with no
single model getting universal acclaim.Then how can you preach that land reforms will usher in democracy.
An American viewpoint is not the final commandment.Let the emerging nations work out their modalities based
on their culture,ethos,traditionsand so on.At best the civil society-that is `WE'-can assist as facilitators,after
fully understanding `that nation's' culture and philosophy.otherwise we will only witness more of Vietnam,Iraq,
Afghanisthan etc. When Will The West See East As East Wants It To Be Seen--through East's glasses and not
through West's dark goggles.

Another scholarly missive from Zakaria that assumes too much and misses the mark. Land reforms in Japan worked because they had a cultural base and a hard work ethic from which to rebuild. Redistribution of land surely did not function well in Rhodesia, which used to feed several contiguous nations but now is a complete mess. The gargantuan pink elephant in the discussion that is never mentioned is overpopulation. Secondarily, Jeffersonian Democracy can not be used as an overlay in correcting the growing problems of third world countries where tribalism is still the power base of all those who would lead these nations.

I want to ask the writer of this article, whos WE?
Is we as Americans?
Or as we as civilians of the world?
Because if its "we" as Americans. The first thing on the list should be "Not telling others how to live and forcing our foreign policy on others" *cough cough Iraq.

American jounalism is so not humble. "But if we truly want to solve the world's problems, here are five things we need to do. " Yes we need to liberate the world too! Let me close my eyes and finger point at a location on my map, ohh its Afghanistan.....Freedom here we come!

"ABOVE ALL THINGS I hope that the education of the common people will be attended to, convinced that on their good sense we may rely witht the most security for the preservation of a due degree of liberty." Thomas Jefferson

As a public high school teacher, the current state of our public institutions reflect our values as a society, from my point of view. I ask Newsweek readers to PLEASE consider the following comparison of our institutions: our pubic schools and our private financial "powerhouses" that are now being bailed out with our taxpayer dollars.

We are bailing out these failing institutions with taxpayer dollars while the state of our public school system continues to decline. Think about this, voters PLEASE! Not just for the sake of your own personal interests, but for the sake of our country.

Good teachers are being laid off and class sizes are growing. No child left behind is a law that requires improvements without funding to implement these improvements. Schools are listed as "failing schools" (terrible for morale) because of unrealistic goals/unfunded mandates funded by politicians seeking to score political points. What is often "left behind" in our public schools is often a stressed out skeleton staff that does not have the ability to properly educate our students.

Meanwhile, these corporate lobbyists that effectively secured deregulation and what they consider "optimal" conditions for success (deregulation). And a few well-connected people have lined their pockets with enormous amounts of other peoples' money.

John McCain has a record of being a major player and advocate of deregulation and has taken money TIME AFTER TIME from the deregulation lobbyists - the very same "fat cats" he's now criticizing! NOW McCain is calling for change, when his deregulation in part has created this mess?

This sort of short-term gain at the expense of long-term growth way of thinking has infected our entire way of running our society.

Unfortunately, young people (the MAJORITY) of our future do not have the money or the resources to hire corporate lobbyists. Their teachers and their schools have limited resources. And there are little organized efforts to reform and progress/ lead our public schools into the 21st century. In every other developed and developing country we compare our students' progress with, there are sustained efforts to improve, fund, and prioritize education.

In America, we are starving our schools while bailing out reckless fat cats who've thrived on greed. Is this the American Way? Or have we lost our way?

Let this difficult period be a lesson. We all want healthy money markets and retirements. We must see the connection between healthy public schools and a healthy economy that is investing in human capital. Hopefully (as we say in class) we will learn from all of this and use it to improve, grow, and succeed.