Since at least medieval times, civilization as a whole has tended to move towards freer, more democratic societies - almost without any meaningful, lengthy changes. This is particularly true since the industrial revolution. (Correct me if I'm wrong above.)
This is a very Eurocentric view. In the rest of the world, this mostly wasn't (and still isn't) the case.
Yeah, I realize I'm being rather eurocentric. The setbacks have been longer and more plentiful in Africa and Asia, but I maintain that the trend is also true there.
Where exactly? I'd say that democracies took root only in places (such as India, Japan) which were conquered and then organized by western countries. Other than that, not so much.
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This is a very Eurocentric view. In the rest of the world, this mostly wasn't (and still isn't) the case.
Yeah, I realize I'm being rather eurocentric. The setbacks have been longer and more plentiful in Africa and Asia, but I maintain that the trend is also true there.
Where exactly? I'd say that democracies took root only in places (such as India, Japan) which were conquered and then organized by western countries. Other than that, not so much.
I don't know of any African countries where the people's democratic freedoms are much more prevalent today than they were centuries ago.