Böcker av Steve Zolno

This is the story of democracy. It also is the story of the deep aspiration within every human being to be recognized as a valid and worthwhile individual. It is about how that aspiration has been honored - and dishonored - throughout time. It is about how human dignity is essential to the success of civilization. And it is about how simple acts - based on basic principles - can make the world work for all of us. As first expressed in the US Constitution - and later echoed by numerous constitutions around the world - establishing government by and for "We the people" is the main aspiration of democracy. It is to this principle we must continuously recommit ourselves if our democracies are to survive. This is how we move toward a world where we all are recognized for our value as members of society. Looking after our individual needs is a basic human attribute. But at some point people realized that combining efforts toward the common good benefited them and improved their chances of survival. We each have a democratic impulse that recognizes the value of others and wants to collaborate toward what works best for all. We also have an autocratic impulse that prefers authority and is more comfortable leading or being led. In human history, the autocratic side has been prevalent.

The human condition is one of perpetually seeking fulfillment. There is a constant and continual hole we try to fill with what we believe is missing, whether it be a relationship, a career, a new possession, knowledge, or interaction with a force beyond us. Our lives seem to be lacking what we really want most of the time, but we only are vaguely aware of what that might be. Because we chronically see our lives as unfulfilled, the question we perpetually ask is not if anything is missing, but what is missing. Our spiritual practice or religion provides limited answers. But we think that if we only have the right experience - spiritual or other - we will be fulfilled. When we find our lives lacking it is because at some level we believe we miss the connections we once knew. Even if we think our life is essentially material - based on obtaining possessions or winning at competition - we still desire the feeling that comes from the recognition of others. In this book we explore a variety of religious and non-religious paths. Then we examine what we might do - if anything - to bring about the lasting state of inner peace we seek. 

This is neither fiction nor fantasy. It is a description of events as they actually happened.The death of democracy came quietly and unexpectedly in the year 2018. No one expected the end to come so quickly, although now looking back all the warning signs were there.Within the early years of the twenty-first century the forces of democracy died a painful, slow death in Russia, Venezuela, Poland, Egypt, and many other nations. But because of what we considered our long and stable democratic tradition in the United States, we thought our democracy was safe.Until now.

What is democracy and where did it come from? Is it a new development or was it always present in human society? And perhaps the most important question: what can we do to preserve and strengthen democracy among the forces that oppose it?In this book we explore trends throughout history that have brought democratic – and undemocratic – government to people wherever civilization exists. We discuss where democracy has been most, and least, successful and why. But our most important task is to clarify what each of us can do, as politicians or ordinary citizens, to bring the benefits of democracy more fully into the personal and political lives of those who cherish it. Includes the section: Guide to Voting in a Democracy–