The differences between the social democracies and the US show up strongly in category after category.

When Democracies Collide

The differences between the social democracies and the US show up strongly in category after category. In the social democracies, less than 10 of children grow up in relative poverty (meaning households with less than half of the country s median income).

The first relates to strengthening democracies.

The economist Thomas Palley sees it as a means of offsetting growth in income inequality, with access to cheap credit replacing the broken welfare guarantee of social democracy. So reform requires redistribution of wealth and incomes.

Because for those of us who live in democracies, or in aspiring democracies, the law begins with us.

The Great Democracies New Harmony

Of course, there is no guarantee that domestic policies accurately reflect societal demands even democracies are frequently taken hostage by special interests.

In the social democracies, less than 10 of children grow up in relative poverty (meaning households with less than half of the country s median income).

That is true for all great democracies.

Dozens of new democracies have been born.

The difficulties faced by the new democracies were expected.

That newly emerging democracies have to be given due attention cannot be denied, but this cannot be wholly at the expense of the old democracies.

Some of these democracies are very young and fragile.

This appeal goes also to all emerging democracies.

There was a great risk of seeing new democracies drift back to authoritarian ways.

Democracies, as a rule, also tend to honour human rights.

This is exactly the malady of young democracies.

Contemporary democracies base their legitimacy on ensuring both political and social rights.

After the rise of the democracy in Athens, other city states founded democracies.

Yet it will achieve what all democracies and have always tried to and never did.

Liberal democracies in the West today are struggling to avoid and in doing so are exacerbating a crisis of identity, which puts the existing social contract at risk and threatens their implosion.

The first is that democracies have, as a matter of historical record, never fought each other.

It is for the same reason that my Government supports the Community of Democracies and participates in its activities.

Circulated in accordance with a decision taken by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) at its 1st meeting, on 29 September 2005.

That evolution has led almost all Western democracies to abandon it quot .

This term appeared to define a running evolution within democracies during the 21st century.

However the notion that Estonia or Latvia are ethnic democracies has been rejected by some commentators.

Political parties play a vital role in democracies and perform valuable political and social functions.

Korean Democratic Women's Union, Korea during 24 29 September, 2000.

Korean Democratic Women's Union, Korea during 17 21 June 2000.

Let us consider, for example, the formidable challenge facing some of the new democracies.

Productivity and

The Dominican Republic is one of the most solid and deeply rooted democracies on the American continent. It is one of the few Latin American democracies in modern times with a record of lasting and commendable political stability.

Indeed, Haiti can become an inspiration for many other fragile and impoverished new democracies.

But, by and large, the developed democracies are characterized by competition between large parties on the center left and center right.

And it should never, never, empower brutal dictatorships to sit in judgement of responsible democracies.

Initiatives such as the Community of Democracies may contribute to these goals.

Now, unfortunately, only scant resources are being invested in building new democracies and new economies.

This is indeed a prize for a country whose regime defies what Western democracies regard as fundamental principles and values.

Mr. President, Iranians are dying for basic human rights and for basic democracy.

(Indeed, economists hardly complain when a country s trade liberalization harms competitors.)

More such campaigns are necessary to sustain new and fragile democracies in the developing countries.

That momentum, in its turn, will give impetus to the consolidation of peace, because democracies seldom fight each other.

Fragile democratic institutions and traditions in new democracies need strong and sustained international support.