Globalization has not rid the world of violence. But there is an ideological shift in the age of globalization that does seem pretty new, and that's the turn to democracy. Now this isn't the limited democracy of the ancient Greeks or the quirky Republican system originally developed in the US. There are almost as many kinds of democracies as there are nations experiencing democracy. The fact is, however, that democracy and political freedom, especially the freedom to participate in and influence the government, have been on the rise all over the world since the 1980s and especially since 1990. For instance, if you looked at the governments of most Latin American countries during most of the 20th century, you would usually find them ruled by military strongmen. Now, with a couple of exceptions, Fidel, Hugo... Stan, are they behind me right now?