Any dictatorship will be engraved in the pillar of historical shame!
In the study of human warfare and democracy, the late Professor R.J. Rummel of the University of Hawaii is widely recognized as an expert and authority. Professor Rummel dedicated his life to researching war and death, authoring 24 books, including Power Kills, Lethal Politics: Soviet Genocides, China’s Bloody Century: Genocide Since 1900, and Death by Government.
Through his studies on war and massacres, Rummel became convinced that governments are the primary killers, and that most mass deaths of humanity are caused by those in power. To prevent such killings by governments and those in power, and to achieve world peace, it is essential to establish and promote democracy, ensuring that all of humanity lives under democratic systems. This led Professor Rummel to propose the "Democratic Peace Theory," along with the "Democratic Timeline," a clock-like representation of the progress and pace of human democracy.
Rummel pointed out that after centuries of darkness, it wasn’t until 1800 that the world saw only three democracies: the United States, France, and Switzerland. His inclusion of France might be attributed to the French Revolution’s overthrow of the monarchy. However, France under Robespierre was characterized by mob rule under the guise of "popular democracy," which was far from true democracy and more akin to a terrifying form of despotism. Excluding France, humanity had, in reality, only two democratic countries over two hundred years ago. Moreover, Switzerland’s democracy was atypical. Therefore, it can be more accurately stated that with the United States’ independence in 1776, humanity truly began its democratic journey, implementing voting, separation of powers, multiparty systems, and freedoms of the press, speech, religion, and association.
By 1900, there were 13 democratic nations globally.
The democratic timeline illustrates that humanity’s strides towards democracy have only recently accelerated: 3 democracies in 1800, 13 in 1900, 20 in 1950, 30 in 1970, and today, approximately 130. In other words, between 1970 and 2015, the number of countries holding multiparty democratic elections increased by 100!
Professor Rummel firmly believed that democracy fosters peace, primarily based on three key aspects:
First, democracy can prevent wars, which are the principal killers of humanity. He compiled statistics showing that between 1816 and 2005, humanity experienced 371 wars. Of these, 205 occurred between two autocratic states, 166 between democratic and autocratic states, and none between two democratic states. The conclusion is clear: if the entire world were democratic, there would be no wars—only peace!
Second, democracy can prevent large-scale famines. All major famines (resulting in massive deaths) have occurred in autocratic states, with not a single instance in a democratic nation. Does this mean democratic countries do not experience natural disasters? Of course not. But democratic nations can resist such disasters and do not exacerbate them into man-made calamities. A typical example is the famine in China during the late 1950s and early 1960s, during which millions starved to death due to political and policy decisions, despite the fact that the country’s granaries were full. Independent experts unanimously agree that it was a "man-made disaster"!
Third, democracy can prevent governments from massacring their own citizens. In every autocratic state, there are countless tragedies where innocent citizens, including many brilliant thinkers, have been persecuted.
Eliminating All Dictators by 2025
There is no doubt that all forms of dictatorship, whether in North Korea, Syria, or Iran, have reached the end of their historical road. In his 2003 book, Breaking the Real Axis of Evil: How to Oust the World’s Last Dictators by 2025, former U.S. Ambassador to Hungary and human rights activist Mark Palmer pointed out that dictators are the primary cause of poverty, terrorism, and despotism, and pose a major threat to U.S. and global security. Therefore, all people around the world should be committed to eliminating these last dictators (according to his count at the time, there were 45 remaining).
Palmer, who once served as a presidential speechwriter, authored President Reagan’s famous speech that pronounced the final verdict on communism: "The Soviet Union’s refusal to grant its people freedom and human dignity is contrary to the course of history. I am describing here a long-term plan and hope: the march of freedom and democracy will consign Marxism-Leninism to the ash heap of history."
This is not merely a prediction but a reflection on history: in 1776, there was only one democracy in the world (the United States), and today, there are 130 countries with multiparty elections. In 239 years, humanity has undergone changes greater than those of the preceding two thousand years: this emphatically proves that global democracy is an irreversible trend, and all forms of despotism will be buried by history.