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Who rules the world?
No one does and that’s really as it should be. What we need to make sure of is that there are many different people doing many different things, and as far as possible ruling themselves.

Who rules the world?
I’m an old-fashioned Marxist – capital rules it, not in a paranoic sense of some big capitalist meeting between Washington and New York, Wall Street, but simply this anonymous process, the process of recycling, reproducing, which is infinitely expanding. It’s clear that this logic of capitalist expansion is the underlying key – kind of a hidden point of reference to everything that goes on today.

Who would you vote for as the president of the world?

The president of the world should be a woman, over 50, I think she should be a mother, perhaps a grandmother, because they know really what democracy is.

Is democracy good for everyone?
It can be. The greater good is served by the greatest freedom. But governments tend to believe that they know what is best for the individual. They believe that they can determine an individual’s
security, happiness and well-being. When we are confronted with such problems as terrorism and the environment, the government should promote an active, not passive, response from its public.

Is democracy fair for everyone?
I believe democracy is suitable to everyone, but there are two values among other fundamental ones, two values or instruments
fundamental in democracy, and there many nations that sadly (though it's not their fault), do not uphold those values, to wit: education and culture. Without them, a democratic regime or a democracy cannot work. Any other way, it's utopian.

Can terrorism destroy democracy?
I believe in one way terrorism can really destroy the principles of democracy, we all really see the difficulties for example in Afghanistan where Taliban is actually harming the whole political
process of the country.

We asked all sorts of people -- authors, athletes, movie stars, politicians, thinkers, workers, dreamers -- ten tough questions
about democracy. We will publish many of the answers on this page, with
new ones every day. Be sure to tell us what you think in the forums.

See today also:
10 Questions video file: Jan Pronk - Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Sudan
10 Questions video file Hany Abu-Assad: Palestinian-Dutch filmmaker, Republic (1986/1996),

What is democracy for you Adil?
For me it’s a stage in people’s relationship where all opinions are heard and respected, even if one minute later these same opinions become drastically contested.

Who would you vote for as the president of the world?
I’m not sure if there should be an office of president in the world, I don’t know what the meaning of that office. Normally, in Finland the office is, the president is already quite ceremonial, but if there should be someone, maybe someone from Asia or Africa, probably woman could be, for example Ang Sang Sun-Kyu, I don’t have idea how to pronounce the name, she has shown quite strong commitment to fight for democracy, though have been arrested for many years already.