"...Some today suggest that democracy has outlived its usefulness. They have misread history. The Americas has declared democracy "indispensable" for the exercise of human rights. It is the only region in the world that imposes an obligation to defend democracy. For all the growing pains, it is a miracle of history that this young century finds us speaking about the consolidation of freedom throughout our hemisphere.
We must continue our work to help strengthen the institutions of liberty - because we know that freedom is the only way to ensure that our citizens can lead lives of purpose and dignity. And without democracy there can be no social justice - because only democracy offers a place at the table for every member of society.
Our common ideal of social justice must include a better life for all our citizens. As elections and democracies have spread across our hemisphere, we see a revolution in expectations. In free societies, citizens will rightly insist that people should not go hungry, that every child deserves the opportunity for a decent education, and that hard work and initiative should be rewarded.
And with each new generation that grows up in freedom and democracy, these expectations rise - and the demands for accountability grow. Either democracies will meet these legitimate demands, or we will yield the future to the enemies of freedom...blah, blah, blah.
More blah here:
http://www.brazzilmag.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4436&Itemid=49