Here’s a key reason to study the people of Ukraine: The war demonstrates in real time the power of democracy amid a growing global grip on dictators.
Why it matters: Free people live better, a mountain of data shows. And sometimes it takes a burgeoning democracy to remind us why the people’s government is worth fighting for.
Take a look at the graphic above – then share it with people who trivialize democratic erosion. Democracies are literally disappearing.
- According to a study by Varieties of Democracy, out of 195 nations on earth, only 34 are liberal democracies — in which citizens have the right to free speech, a free press, free and fair elections, and other liberties.
Live in a stable democracy leads to a longer and more fulfilling life, the data shows:
Reality check: In the wake of nuclear war and possibly climate change, the rise of authoritarians like Vladimir Putin and the decline of democracies have the greatest potential to shape America’s future — deeper than the small-ball struggles we’re often drawn into.
- The dictators win. A Russian dictator, backed by an authoritarian Chinese leader and made possible by Saudi silence, kills thousands, seizes land and destroys a nation.
- A report from Freedom House The study, released in February, found 60 countries had suffered a decline in democracy over the past year.
The bottom line: American critics sometimes persecute their democracy – and in some cases damage it. But watching Ukrainians reinforces the preciousness and precariousness of freedom.
🏁 Editor’s note: This article first appeared in Axios Finish Line, a new newsletter in the Axios Daily Essentials pack. Sign up here.