The Case For Democracy - Hardcover

Sharansky, Natan; Dermer, Ron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1586482610 ISBN 13: 9781586482619

Publisher: PublicAffairs, 2004

Synopsis

Natan Sharansky believes that the truest expression of democracy is the ability to stand in the middle of a town square and express one's views without fear of imprisonment. He should know. A dissident in the USSR, Sharansky was jailed for nine years for challenging Soviet policies. During that time he reinforced his moral conviction that democracy is essential to both protecting human rights and maintaining global peace and security.

Sharansky was catapulted onto the Israeli political stage in 1996. In the last eight years, he has served as a minister in four different Israeli cabinets, including a stint as Deputy Prime Minister, playing a key role in government decision making from the peace negotiations at Wye to the war against Palestinian terror. In his views, he has been as consistent as he has been stubborn: Tyranny, whether in the Soviet Union or the Middle East, must always be made to bow before democracy.

Drawing on a lifetime of experience of democracy and its absence, Sharansky believes that only democracy can safeguard the well-being of societies. For Sharansky, when it comes to democracy, politics is not a matter of left and right, but right and wrong.

This is a passionately argued book from a man who carries supreme moral authority to make the case he does here: that the spread of democracy everywhere is not only possible, but also essential to the survival of our civilization. His argument is sure to stir controversy on all sides; this is arguably the great issue of our times.

About this title

About the Author:

Natan Sharansky is a former Soviet dissident, political prisoner, and human rights icon who has spent his life championing democracy and freedom. He now serves as the Minister for Jerusalem and Diaspora Affairs in the Israeli Government.

From AudioFile:

Cited by the current administration as a strong influence on the president, Sharansky's work is part political philosophy, part biography. The two genres are intertwined effortlessly by the former Soviet political prisoner who is now a political leader in Israel. Simon Vance presents a sophisticated and thoughtful reading. His voice is what one would imagine Sharansky's voice might sound like: articulate, cosmopolitan, and passionate. Vance's speech has the accent of one whose first language is not English, but who is a careful English speaker. The core argument is that the world is divided between free and "fear" societies and the way to fight the latter is by promoting freedom. Sharansky also argues that freedom is a universal aspiration of human beings. M.L.C. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: PublicAffairs
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1586482610
• ISBN 13: 9781586482619
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336