National Portrait Gallery

That’s the best justification for world peace, economic growth, and democratic propagation I’ve ever read.

It was uttered by President Clinton during his State of the Union address in 1994. He added that democracies “make better trading partners,” which is something the world has readily witnessed ever since.

Over the last 30 years, for example, the global poverty rate has nose dived from a staggering 70% then to 46% today. That rate is still trending downwards, as an increasing number of nations copy and paste the U.S. constitution towards sustainable democracies.

Not only does democracy reduce war and conflict, it actually enriches people. Which is why U.S. Foreign Policy is such a big deal, albeit one I don’t always agree with. But I realize it’s a whole lot cheaper and humane than war or imperial occupation.

So long as democracy doesn’t fight civil wars on others’ behalf (i.e. Vietnam, the Middle East), I wholeheartedly support more democracy and all that comes with it—the sometimes controversial first amendment very much included.

My name is Blake Snow, and I approve this message.