THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY. Steve Zolno

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       THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY

       THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY

       Lessons from the Past and Present To Guide us on our Path Forward

      By Steve Zolno

      Copyright © 2016 by Steve Zolno

      PAPERBACK:

      ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-371-7

      ISBN 10: 1-58790-371-7

      E-BOOK

      ISBN 13: 978-1-58790-372-4

      ISBN 10: 1-58790-372-5

      Library of Congress Control Number: 2016950644

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of the Author or Publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Cover photo: ErechteionTemple, Acropolis, Athens

      Revised Printing, October, 2016

      Printed in the USA

      REGENT PRESS

      Berkeley, California

      www.regentpress.net [email protected]

       To the Students, Faculty and Staff of Shimer College

       Where Democracy Thrives

       Contents

       PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

       INTRODUCTION

       Cooperation Based on Trust

       The Consequences of Distrust

       Rebuilding Trust

       Democracy and Human Dignity

       CHAPTER I. DEMOCRACY’S PAST

       From Prehistory to History

       The Second Millennium

       1000-1500

       1500-2000

       World War I

       The Great Depression

       World War II

       Summary and Possible Lessons

       CHAPTER II. DEMOCRACY’S PRESENT

       Britain

       China

       France

       Germany

       Russia

       United States

       Brazil

       Greece

       Egypt

       India

       South Africa

       Summary and Possible Lessons

       CHAPTER III. DEMOCRACY’S FUTURE

       Childhood

       Education

       Justice

       The Economy

       The Environment

       Health Care

       Religion

       Science and Innovation

       The Human Mind

       Violence and War

       International Relations

       Politics and Government

       Guide to Voting in a Democracy

       Summary and Possible Lessons

       REFERENCES

       INDEX

       Preface & Acknowledgments

      When I was in high school it seemed to me that something was missing in my education. My teachers were well-meaning and covered all the required topics. Sometimes they allowed students to express an opinion. But even then I was aware of being a product of an educational system that didn’t prepare me to function in the real world.

      I learned rote skills but not the relevance of those skills to my life or the world. I was taught to repeat the views of texts and teachers about history, literature