Freedom Facts

Democracies historically have not gone to war or attacked each other. 1,2,3

The seven countries that are on the State Department's list of countries that sponsor terror none are democratically governed . 3

Democracy creation is messy, oftentimes violent, and rarely in a straight-line.

The concept of democracy for all the world is not owned by the right or the left, Republican or Democrat, but by everyone who desires freedom, human rights, and peace for the world.

Societies that do not allow dissent will not protect human rights. 1

A country that does not respect the rights of its own people will not respect the rights of its neighbors.  1

Ninety-five percent of the worst economic performances over the past forty years were overseen by non-democratic governments.  Similarly, virtually all contemporary refugee crises have been wrought by autocratic governments. 2

Freedom House recently found that countries, with the highest levels of democratic freedom produced 89% of the global economic output.  On the other side of the spectrum, those countries with the least political freedom, which account for 36% of the world's population, produce only 6% of the world's wealth.  3

Dictatorships also lead to increased warfare.  Of the 353 wars between 1816 and 1991, classified as major international wars, 100% involved non democracies as one or more of the belligerents; none occurred between two democratic states. 3

Dictators make war, not only on those outside their boundaries, but also on the citizens of their own countries.  In the 20th century an estimated 169 million people died at the hands, or through the malign neglect of their dictatorial or authoritarian governments.  This is an estimated two to four times the number of combatants killed in wars over the same period of time. 3

A society is free if people have the right to express their views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm. 1

We sometimes do not realize that in a fear society finding out what people truly believe is not a function of whether the press is given the freedom to ask questions, but rather whether people are free to answer them. 1

Global security has not been thrown into disarray since substantial numbers of new democracies have been created. 2

Dictatorships very seldom willingly switch from dictatorships to democracies.

Democracies are a poor haven for terrorist training, organization, and perpetuating their cause.

The major security violations and human rights transgressions around the world are concentrated almost exclusively in dictatorships and autocracy's.

Terrorist networks undertaking nefarious acts are virtually all based in politically closed societies. 2

Go to www.freedomhouse.org  and go to FH Country Ratings for a list of countries with their ranking as to their degree of democracy or degree of autocracy.  This seems to be a very accurate analysis, an eye-opener.

Many of the above facts may be found in the three books listed below.

1. The Case for Democracy  by Natan Sharansky

    recommended by Bernard Lewis, Charles Krauthammer, Mort Zuckerman 

2. The Democracy Advantage  by Halperin, Siegle and Weinstein

    recommended by George Soros, Madeleine Albright, Max Boot

3. Breaking the Real Axis of Evil  by Ambassador Mark Palmer

    recommended by George Soros, Nancy Pelosi, James Woolsey, Bill Richardson