Democracy In the Contemporary World (Overview) Video Lecture - Class 9

democracy is a Greek word that means
popular rule a Greeks laid the
foundation for democracy way back in 508
BC in Athens
why is democracy a popular form of
government
although there are variations even the
concept of understanding and the
practice of democracy II there are two
underlying principles that are
universally accepted
equality and freedom we will follow
along the stories of the two countries
mentioned earlier and understand this
father Salvador IND was a member of the
Socialist Party in Chile and was
actively involved in his country's
politics for over 40 years before
getting elected its president in 1970
a yen D was one of the rare politicians
who was fearless and free of corruption
and took some bold steps for the
betterment of the poor he redistributed
land to the landless farmers reformed
the educational system provided free
milk for children and opposed foreign
companies taking over his country's
natural resources
the richer sections of the country
including the landlord's and other
political parties big businesses and
even the church did not like his
policies among those unhappy with inds
people-friendly policies was the
government of the United States
the United States was interested in
Chili's mineral weld including the vast
deposits of copper since IND was not
willing to give foreign companies access
to his country's resources the United
States decided to support a more
business-friendly government
United States financed a military coup
led by General Augusto Pinochet of the
Chilean army the coup was staged on the
11th of September 1973 beginning with
the military commanders ordering I n day
to resign or leave the country
a nd refused and instead address the
nation on radio wanting the people about
the corrupt military officers by doing
so he endangered his life Chilean Army
bombed president ayan days office and
killed him General Augusto Pinochet
installed himself as the president of
the country and ruled it for 17 years
did you know on the 12th of October 9th
of October 1999 general pervez musharraf
a chief of army staff in Pakistan led a
peaceful coup against Nawab Sharif the
then Prime Minister and ruled the
country for nine years before resigning
Pinochet's rule over Chile was a brutal
regime torture kidnapping and
disappearance was some of the tactics
used against those opposed to the coup
amongst the people who opposed the coup
and wanted democracy to be restored was
general Alberto Bachelet general ballot
was subsequently imprisoned and tortured
on Pinochet's orders his family was also
imprisoned and tortured
the same fate awaited anyone who dared
to criticize the government
more than three thousand people were
killed by the military in this way
Pinochet's military dictatorship was in
its last stages in 1988
interestingly General Pinochet held a
referendum
anticipating that the people will
approve of his further rule instead the
people of Chile voted against Pinochet
decisively political freedom was finally
restored in 1990 and Pinochet was tried
in the court of law for crimes against
humanity since then Chile as hell
since then Chile has held four
presidential elections successfully in
2006 Michele bachelor became the
country's first woman president
this was another twist of fate as
Michelle Bachelor is the daughter of
general Alberto bacala
who was imprisoned and tortured after
the cool
now let us take a look at another
country on our list of democracies
Poland in 1980 Poland Poland was ruled
by a communist party known as the Polish
United Workers Party
during this time Eastern Europe was
governed by the Soviet Union also known
as the USSR a vast and powerful
communist state under the communist
regime all factories and big property
were owned by the government
strikes to show grievances were illegal
and so were independent trade unions
that looked after the well-being of the
workers
the press was hugely censored and the
people who criticized the government
were imprisoned the revolution for
democracy in Poland was started when a
woman a crane operator had been
wrongfully dismissed from service
workers in the Lenin shipyard staged a
strike and asked for a reinstatement
although the strike was illegal
the workers held on the strike workers
were joined by a former electrician of
the shipyard
Lake wall Asia he had himself been
dismissed from service a few years ago
the strike began to spread across the
whole city now the workers started
making larger demands including their
right to form independent trade unions
they also demanded the release of
political prisoners and an end to
censorship of the press the movement
became so popular that the government
had to give in to their demands
the workers led by Alicia signed a
21-point agreement with the government
and a new independent trade union was
formed called solidarity this was only a
minor victory for solidarity as the
government led by general euros else key
later imposed martial law
and imprisoned a large number of members
from this group
the freedom to organize protests and
express opinions was once again taken
away
however solidarity kept gaining
popularity over the years
and another round of negotiations in
1989 between Malaysia nine between
Malaysia and the government resulted in
an agreement for free elections
solidarity contested all the hundred
seats of the Parliament known there as
the Senate and one 99 of them in 1990
Poland had its first presidential
elections
in which more in which more than one
party was allowed to contest lek
Malaysia the electrician was responsible
for the solidarity movement was elected
the President of Poland all this
happened around the same time as Chile
struggle for democracy with staking
plays people in both the countries
fought against their governments for
bringing in democracy
chili was a military dictatorship while
Poland was ruled by a communist
political party Chile witnessed a
transition from democratic to non
democratic and back to democracy
well whereas Poland witnessed a
transition from non-democratic to
democratic there were many differences
between the two governments the
government of Poland claimed that it was
ruling on behalf of the working classes
whereas the military dictatorship of
Chile under Pinochet made no such claims
and supported foreign businesses
the similarities however was striking
the people could not choose or change
the rulers there was no freedom of
expression the people could not form
political associations or organized
peaceful protests and could not take
political action on the other hand
democracy is a form of government that
allows people to choose their leaders
in a democracy only the leaders elected
by the people govern the country people
have the right to express their views
and grievances
freedom to organize and freedom to
protest peacefully