Ronald A. Lindsay reflects on the post-Franco democratization of Spain and the broader optimistic wave of democratic gains in Europe after the Cold War, noting that this promise has not become universal. Today, democracy faces threats from rising far-right movements within countries and coordinated efforts by authoritarian regimes, compounded by misguided U.S. foreign policy under Trump, which risks isolating America and undermining the global cause of liberal democracy.

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https://secularhumanism.org/exclusive/democracy-the-good-news-and-the-bad-news/

About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, and editor of Free Inquiry magazine.

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Free Inquiry Audio Edition is a production of The Council for Secular Humanism and the Center for Inquiry.