A few words on freedom

I'm not much of a political thinker, but I am learning - as we all should be. I guess right now I'm slightly to the right of centre, but I recently finished a book that showed me it's not all about left and right.

The Case for Democracy by Natan Sharansky makes a clear division between nations where someone can express a dissenting view without fear - a free society - and a fear society where dissent is squelched.

Using his own examples as a dissident in the Soviet Union, and drawing on his more recent experiences as an Israel cabinet minister, Sharansky paints a very practical picture of ideas and policies that could change the world.

In agreement with the book, this editorial makes a bold case for true democracy and its power to change lives:

Best of all is the line that "though tyranny has few advocates, it needs more adversaries." One critique of the President's push for democracy is the idea that the U.S. should not too visibly support the world's democratic dissidents and movements, lest they be tainted by American associations. But we suspect that champions of liberty in places such as Egypt, Iran and China take greater courage from an America that states its purposes boldly than one that fears its own shadow. Since when did the love of liberty become the love that dare not speak its name?