a range of difficulties. At the beginning of the twenty-first century the
most serious problems are without a doubt those related to the threat
that terrorism poses for the defence of freedom. It is heartening that
thanks to the strengthening of national and international security
measures, the threat has been reduced.^41 On the other hand, the ter-
rorist scourge has become contagious. Whereas in the past it was
restricted to unstable regimes, particularly in the Middle East and Latin
America, there is today no region or country that is safe. Moreover, in
the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks against the United States,
the human cost of terrorism has been going up, and considering that
terrorists have grown ever-bolder, no one today can dismiss the hypo-
thesis of a “big one” – a kamikaze attack using biological, chemical,
or nuclear weapons.^42 Even though it sometimes requires difficult
compromises in the area of human rights, the fight against terrorism
must therefore remain a central concern of all societies that value
democracy. To be victorious, that struggle demands, first and foremost,
(^41) US Department of State,Country Reports on Terrorism 2006, Washington,
DC, US Department of State Publication 11409, 2007, p. 14.
(^42) World Economic Forum,Global Governance Initiative: Annual Report 2004,
London, Communications Development, 2004, p. 8.
66 69 69
76
91
99
108 114
117 118 117 117
120 120 121 121117 119122
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
1987198819891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005
Figure 3.2Number of electoral democracies, 1987–2005
Source:Freedom House, “Freedom in the World 2006: Selected Data from Freedom
House’s Annual Global Survey of Political Rights and Civil Liberties, 2006” (www.
freedomhouse.org/uploads/pdf/Charts2006.pdf).
68 Left and Right in Global Politics