[civsoc-mw] Economist, country of the year

[Keyboard Boyd Kilembey]

They are spot on. Congratulations all malawians

On Thu, 17 Dec 2020, 16:42 , <cammack at mweb.co.za> wrote:

>
> https://www.economist.com/leaders/2020/12/19/which-is-the-economists-country-of-the-year
>
>
>
>
> *Admiration nationWhich is The Economist’s country of the year?*
>
> The most-improved country is one where people stood up for democracy
>
> *Leaders <https://www.economist.com/leaders/>*Dec 19th 2020 edition
> <https://www.economist.com/printedition/2020-12-19>
> ------------------------------
>
> Dec 19th 2020
>
>    -
>
> IN MOST YEARS most countries improve in various ways. In 2020, however,
> premature death and economic contraction became the new normal, and most
> countries aspired only to dodge the worst of it. Inevitably, our shortlist
> of most-improved countries includes some that merely avoided regressing
> much.
>
> Few people would argue that life in *New Zealand* was better in 2020 than
> in 2019. But the virus has been contained. When only 100 cases had been
> detected, the prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, closed the borders, locked
> down the country and urged its “team of 5m” (ie, the whole population) to
> be kind to each other. Only 25 Kiwis have died and life has more or less
> returned to normal. Rugby stadiums finished the season packed with fans.
> The amiable Ms Ardern was re-elected with a majority in a country where
> such things are almost unheard of.
>
> *Taiwan* has done even better, with only seven deaths and a far stronger
> economic performance. Leave aside whether Taiwan is a country or merely a
> contender for “de facto self-governing territory of the year”. It kept the
> virus at bay without closing schools, shops or restaurants, much less
> imposing lockdowns. Its economy is one of the few expected to have grown in
> 2020. It also showed courage, refusing to back down despite relentless
> threats from Beijing. China’s government often says that Taiwan must be
> reunited with the mainland. It has been sending warships and fighter jets
> ever closer to the island, ever more often. Yet in January Taiwanese voters
> spurned a presidential candidate who favoured warmer ties with China and
> re-elected Tsai Ing-wen, whose government has been sheltering democracy
> activists from Hong Kong. Taiwan is a constant reminder that Chinese
> culture is perfectly compatible with liberal democracy.
>
> These achievements are impressive. However, the pandemic is not yet over
> and to judge a country on its covid-fighting record is to focus on specific
> forms of good governance when circumstances of geography and genes make
> comparisons hard. Being an island helps. Some populations may have immunity
> to coronaviruses. So it is worth considering other candidates.
>
> The *United States* did almost as badly as Britain, Italy and Spain in
> its response to covid-19, but its Operation Warp Speed was central to
> bringing about a vaccine in record time. And by rejecting President Donald
> Trump in November, American voters did their bit to curb the spread of
> populism—another global scourge. Mr Trump’s efforts to overturn the will of
> those voters were unprecedented for a sitting president, but the judges he
> appointed were loyal to the law, not the man who picked them.
>
> Voters in *Bolivia*, too, restored a measure of normality. After a
> fraud-tainted election, the overthrow of a socialist president, violent
> protests and the vengeful, incompetent rule of an interim president, the
> Andean nation held a peaceful re-run ballot in October and picked a
> technocrat, Luis Arce.
>
> But this year’s prize goes to a country in southern Africa. Democracy and
> respect for human rights regressed in 80 countries between the start of the
> pandemic and September, reckons Freedom House, a think-tank. The only place
> where they improved was *Malawi*.
>
> To appreciate its progress, consider what came before. In 2012 a president
> died, his death was covered up and his corpse flown to South Africa for
> “medical treatment”, to buy time so that his brother could take over. That
> brother, Peter Mutharika, failed to grab power then but was elected two
> years later and ran for re-election. The vote-count was rigged with
> correction fluid on the tally sheets. Foreign observers cynically approved
> it anyway. Malawians launched mass protests against the “Tipp-Ex election”.
> Malawian judges turned down suitcases of bribes and annulled it. A fair
> re-run in June booted out Mr Mutharika and installed the people’s choice,
> Lazarus Chakwera. Malawi is still poor, but its people are citizens, not
> subjects. For reviving democracy in an authoritarian region, it is our
> country of the year. ■
>
>
>
> This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under
> the headline "Admiration nation"
>
>
>
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