The hard facts are sobering: According to a new study, the quality of democracy has deteriorated over the past 20 years in 137 countries that are considered developing or emerging economies. According to the Bertelsmann Foundation’s “Transformation Index,” there are now 63 democracies compared to 74 autocracies. In other words, states that tend not to have free elections or a functioning constitutional state.
Neoliberalism and greed have been allowed to run rampant in many parts of the world. When people feel squeeze by corporations and their government does nothing to protect them they turn to extremism.