I love how I'm just suppose to trust the official texts on China and Cuba, but not the US. That's what these "do your own homework" posts always imply.
this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2025
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In communism, you can vote so long as you vote for pre-approved candidates.
Unfortunately, our system isn't that much better with the fuckery in the political parties. Primary elections that set who is eligible to be elected at the national level. But that's just garden variety authoritarianism for you.
Well I think you are wrong on a deep fundamental level.
The difference is staggering.
In democracy, you can chose to boot someone out, that's not an option un dictatorships and it bakes all the difference in the world.
You really should look up the difference between a democracy and a republic
Why? I was discussing the difference between democracy and dictatorship.
Because the United States is not a democracy, it's a constitutional republic. A constitutional republic that is sliding into authoritarianism and towards dictatorship.
If you would like to see an example of democracy, you should look up ancient Athens.
As worrisome as the trump presidency is, the USA is still a democracy. Also, a republic can be democratic and also Athens democracy was the first but largely not what we call a democracy today.
I find it interesting that to you the definitions have changed and what I was taught in school 20 years ago is no longer accurate.
Words have meanings. In a democracy your vote is direct. In a republic your vote is not direct but you are passing your power onto representatives who will wield and control your power on your behalf.
The term is 'representative democracy'.
A 'republic' is any formal state that isn't a monarchy.
So China is a democracy where virtually everyone just happens to vote for the incumbent?
We prolly gonna have to get the guy to define democracy first. It likely ain’t what we think he thinks it is.
Not entirely sure any of those are democracies.
Well, some are markedly more democratic than others. I still wouldn't give the US high marks for democracy, but "The ability for the majority of the population to freely choose a candidate of their choice" is miles ahead of "There is one candidate and the Central Committee approved them", even with all the other fuckery that goes on.
I'll be honest with you, "there are two candidates and the two party central comittees approved them" sounds only marginally better.
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Reading about tankies while being from the post soviet bloc is especially aggravating since we all remember and some still have to endure our drunk parents glorifying the „good old days” when milk was a luxury item and people listened to your phone calls.
I mean people still listen to your phone calls even in western countries and egg is looking to become a luxury item.
Well you are comparing one totalitarian regime to another. The US is no longer a „western” country.
Nah, it totally is. Being western isn't signified by "Good Values" it's signified by its location on the map.
And cultural-geopolitical factors.
That’s why I put western in quotes. It’s a dumb but helpful classification like the „first world”.
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I mean in the USSR, you definitely had choice when it came to voting. There was the right choice and the wrong choice. You'd better choose correctly.
If you were allowed to vote, only 15% voted IIRC.
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not going to go full tankie and praises those democracies, but without a doubt, the US democracy is a farce.
Ah, yes, the famous democratic soviet elections with a single candidate.
There would be plenty of other options if they stopped falling out of buildings or suffering sudden terminal illness!
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Serious question, what truly successful, stable and properly representative democracies are there?
Like, even if we remove the major issues around capitalism, the US democracy is as far from representing the people as democratically possible. Heck, even if you remove the electoral college it would still be a super unrepresentative democracy because of the two party system and other factors.
So what countries are out there that have functional democracies that truly represent the will of the people while being stable?
Serious question, what truly successful, stable and properly representative democracies are there?
Most of the EU. Aussieland and New Zealand. Canada. Taiwan. Mongolia. Mexico and Brazil, if you'll allow a little wiggle room in 'stable'. Possibly SK and Japan, depending on your definitions of 'properly representative'.
Not a definition of democracy, but if a country has Universal Healthcare. That’s a start. Healthcare in Canada needs help, but at least I know I’m not going to lose my home and life’s savings because of health. PP and Danielle Smith’s wet dream is to privatize health care.
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China would be a democracy if the candidates put on the ballot for public approval weren't chosen by the CPC. In theory, their voting system is more fair and democratic than first-past-the-post (which is objectively the worst voting system).
Unfortunately, that's a pretty big barrier to being democratic.
But I agree that FPTP is one of the worst systems, and desperately needs to be replaced.
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It’s not a democracy unless the official name of the country includes the word “democratic”.
This will spark valid discussion and not invoke weird tribalism that ignores the fact that we're all ruled by the rich under all of those systems. No siree. Just valid, non-divisive, discussions happening for this one.
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