Pictures better left unposted......eff it

[krystal]

How doyou measure something like Freedom of the Press, or Democracy ?

I have no idea. I'm guessing they measure the amount (?) of Freedom of the Press by how much information other countries' press is able to access. By that I mean how much information is confidential? I don't know and don't know why I'm trying to explain it.

As for the Democracy thing, this is from wiki:

"The "majority rule" is often described as a characteristic feature of democracy, but without responsible government or constitutional protections of individual liberties from democratic power it is possible for dissenting individuals to be oppressed by the "tyranny of the majority". An essential process in representative democracies is competitive elections, that are fair both substantively[13] and procedurally.[14] Furthermore, freedom of political expression, freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential so that citizens are informed and able to vote in their personal interests.[15][16]

Popular sovereignty is common but not a universal motivating subject for establishing a democracy. In some countries, democracy is based on the philosophical principle of equal rights. Many people use the term "democracy" as shorthand for liberal democracy, which may include additional elements such as political pluralism, equality before the law, the right to petition elected officials for redress of grievances, due process, civil liberties, human rights, and elements of civil society outside the government."

Maybe other countries have more of that?