A Word from the Editor

The rise of authoritarian regimes poses a frightening threat to the liberal international order and is a frontal assault on the democratic ideal. So warns U.S. presidential hopeful John McCain, who has urged like-minded governments to form a ‘League of Democracies’ as a bulwark against this trend.

Whatever its rhetorical appeal, McCain’s suggestion is at best simplistic and at worst hypocritical. The idea is brought under close scrutiny by Edward Cohen and David Howell in our lead article, ‘Antiquated Ideologies and the Next Ten Words’.

The problem with discussions of democracy is that they are often more concerned with political point-scoring than analytical vigour. The reality is often more complex than politicians (democratically elected or otherwise) would suggest.

Predicting the course of democracy is a case in point. We have clearly not yet reached the ‘end of history’ that Francis Fukuyama so confidently proclaimed just 16 years ago. Nor is democracy on an inevitable downward trajectory. In our feature interview, Dr Malcolm Cook observes that we simply have to wait and see how the rise of authoritarian regimes will affect liberal norms such as human rights.

“The problem with discussions of democracy is that they are often more concerned with political point-scoring than analytical vigour.”

If one thing is certain, it is that the re-emergence of China and Russia as global heavyweights will prompt serious reflection upon the merits of democratic systems.

All too often, we allow our leaders – elected or appointed – to dictate the terms under which we are governed. Even in the most robust of democracies, many citizens are excluded from political decision-making, through want of education or power, or because they simply lack faith in the ability of government to address their needs.

I would like to congratulate all of our writers for choosing engagement over apathy, and for adding their voices to the policy discussion.

As my editorship draws to a close, I also wish to extend my heartfelt thanks to our editorial team, the members of which have worked tirelessly to assemble the past two issues. In an era when young people are typically characterised as politically apathetic, it is heartening to see so many keen minds grappling with the world’s most pressing issues.

Yours in global affairs,

Christine Ernst
Editor-in-Chief
The Sydney Globalist