From Democracy to Freedom

Democracy is the most universal political ideal of our day. George Bush invoked it to justify invading Iraq; Obama congratulated the rebels of Tahrir Square for bringing it to Egypt; Occupy Wall Street claimed to have distilled its pure form. From the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea to the autonomous region of Rojava, practically every government and popular movement calls itself democratic.

But what is democracy, precisely? Is there a common thread that links all these different variants? And can any of them deliver on their promises?

From Democracy to Freedom grew out of years of dialogue between participants in social movements around the world. Exploring how recent uprisings have been catalyzed and limited by democratic discourse, the book explores the difference between government and self-determination, proposing new ways to understand what we're doing when we make decisions together.