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You can make your vote count in the voting room, by voting on Democracy vs. Capitalism!

If you'd like to discuss the topic further, our guest blogger Robert Reich and the Why Democracy? community are happy to join the debate! 

Years ago, we assumed that capitalism and democracy went hand in glove, that capitalism almost inevitably led to democracy and vice versa. Now we cannot be so sure.

China has become a hotbed of capitalism but it is not a democracy by any stretch. Nor Singapore. Russia calls itself a democracy, and it is practicing a form of capitalism, but few would agree that its democracy is robust.

Indeed, even in the United States, as I noted this morning, capitalism has burgeoned over the last thirty years -- into what I call "Supercapitalism" in my new book by that name -- but democracy has become far less capable of reflecting what we want or need to do together, as citizens.

Let me first introduce myself. I'm Robert Reich. I currently teach public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. I've served in several administrations in Washington, most recently as Bill Clinton's secretary of labor.

Also written a number of books about democracy and politics -- the most recent of which came out last week, entitled "Supercapitalism." I'd be very interested in others' reactions to its main thesis, which can be stated quite simply: The United States and many other advanced economies once assumed that democracy and capitalism went hand in hand. Yet since the 1970s, they seem to have diverged. Capitalism has soared, in the sense that consumers have been treated to a vast array of new products -- personal computers, iPods, antidepressants, hybrid cars, to name just a few -- while the prices of standard goods and service have declined, adjusted for inflation. Companies have also become far more efficient and stock markets have surged. And yet, these gains have been accompanied by widening inequalities of income and wealth, heightened job insecurity, and
environmental hazards such as global warming.

As the situation in Burma escalates, the world can't help but notice the blatant disregard the ruling military junta has for basic human rights. Dedicated to realizing a democratic future, protesters have grown to an estimated 100,000 people.

In an extraordinary display of solidarity, Burma civilians created a human chain around the protesting monks to protect them against armed soldiers. Scenes such as these remind us that being part of a democratic system is often taken for granted. To find out more about Burma situation, take a look at Al Jazeera and BBC for detailed articles and multimedia content.

In an age of widespread communication technology, secret footage was smuggled out of the country and posted online to display the worsening situation.

We modified the forum entry page so that you begin with the categories rather than the discussions. Also changed the text on the page to make it clear that reading the forums can be done without creating a profile, and that creating a profile (to join discussions) is really easy.

One of the most recent updates to our webpage has been the 10 questions category. Take a look at world renowned athletes, politicians and authors answering questions about democracy. Just click on the "10 Questions" link in the column on the left. Enjoy!