Thailand’s New Crisis
THE GOOD news about democracy is that as elected government has spread and deepened its roots around the world during the past two decades, poor people and neglected ethnic groups in many countries have gained power. In countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and Mexico, government policies have shifted to accommodate the newly enfranchised, and their lives have improved. The downside is that the expansion of the political system has, in a few countries, touched off cultural or class warfare that has undermined the new freedom. In some cases, such as Venezuela and Bolivia, populists claiming to represent a poor or indigenous majority have won elections, then sought to entrench themselves in power and eliminate competition from the old elite. We've had a lot to say about the harm Venezuela's Hugo Chávez and Bolivia's Evo Morales have done to their countries.