內容簡介
內容簡介 從第一位女性國家安全顧問、第一位非裔女性國務卿到暢銷作家小布希執政時代的國務卿談民主與自由美國前國務卿康朵麗莎．萊斯（Condoleezza Rice）從冷戰結束、蘇聯瓦解到阿拉伯之春，都站在歷史的第一線，以政治決策者的身分與角度見證國際重大事件。現於美國史丹佛大學擔任教授的她，汲取身為決策者、學者與公民的見解，客觀分析民主的挑戰。目前世界上一半的國家都可被視為民主體制，以長遠來看，數量仍會持續增加。然而，民主的過程幾乎總是充滿挑戰與阻礙。作者以俄國、波蘭、烏克蘭、肯亞、哥倫比亞以及中東等國家與地區的民主體制為例，沒有任何國家的民主化過程完全相同，因為起始點並不一致。有些國家在民主化初期就走錯路、有些國家會走回頭路，卻不能因此放棄嘗試追求民主。世界各個角落的人民，都持續追求著民主。不管是反抗獨裁體制、建立新的民主制度或改革現有體制，讓民主變得更臻完善與理想，民主化的旅程從未結束。作者身為非裔美國人，家鄉阿拉巴馬州是人權運動的中心，自小就對爭取自由與人權不陌生。她指出，民主的理想只存在於學術界，因此問題不在於追求完美的狀態，而是該如何在艱困的條件下向前邁進。她在結語也提出對目前美國政治狀態的批評，開啟一場對於自由與民主的辯論。From the former secretary of state and bestselling author -- a sweeping look at the global struggle for democracy and why America must continue to support the cause of human freedom. From the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union to the ongoing struggle for human rights in the Middle East, Condoleezza Rice has served on the front lines of history. As a child, she was an eyewitness to a third awakening of freedom, when her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, became the epicenter of the civil rights movement for black Americans. In this book, Rice explains what these epochal events teach us about democracy. At a time when people around the world are wondering whether democracy is in decline, Rice shares insights from her experiences as a policymaker, scholar, and citizen, in order to put democracy's challenges into perspective. When the United States was founded, it was the only attempt at self-government in the world. Today more than half of all countries qualify as democracies, and in the long run that number will continue to grow. Yet nothing worthwhile ever comes easily. Using America's long struggle as a template, Rice draws lessons for democracy around the world -- from Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, to Kenya, Colombia, and the Middle East. She finds that no transitions to democracy are the same because every country starts in a different place. Pathways diverge and sometimes circle backward. Time frames for success vary dramatically, and countries often suffer false starts before getting it right. But, Rice argues, that does not mean they should not try. While the ideal conditions for democracy are well known in academia, they never exist in the real world. The question is not how to create perfect circumstances but how to move forward under difficult ones. These same insights apply in overcoming the challenges faced by governments today. The pursuit of democracy is a continuing struggle shared by people around the world, whether they are opposing authoritarian regimes, establishing new democratic institutions, or reforming mature democracies to better live up to their ideals. The work of securing it is never finished.
