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Seeing as Russia has been a democracy for 25 years, isn't this just absolving the Russian populace of any guilt or responsibility over their choice in governmen

Seeing as Russia has been a democracy for 25 years, isn't this just absolving the Russian populace of any guilt or responsibility over their choice in government, or the actions of said government?

Eldt 8y ago
How democratic exactly do you think their election process is?
- expathacker 8y ago
  I do not know, do you? I'm guessing that neither of us have observed their election process in person, or are experts in the fairness of their, or any other democratic process. If you are, please school me, I'm a willing student. I am a US citizen, my birth nation has "elected" two presidents who failed to win the popular vote. 2% of my fellow citizens are unable to vote due to felony convictions. On top of this, the practice known as gerrymandering is essentially carte blanche for a state's ruling power to ensure continuous victories due to the complicated nature of an inconsistent federalist voting system.
  - meowface 8y ago
    The US's election system has many issues, but Russia's system (at the present moment) is a complete charade. At least with the US system, the rules and loopholes (as stupid as they are) are transparent, known, and understood ahead of time. There's no funny business behind the curtain. In Russia, elections are secretly manipulated by the state. The US is a sometimes-dysfunctional democracy, but Russia doesn't have a democracy at all.
    - expathacker 8y ago
      Well, to be a little bit pedantic, the USA doesn't have a democracy either, we have a representative republic. You're speculating as to the state of Russia's democracy. Have you any specific proof of your allegations? I'm guessing your proof lays primarily with that which is published in the media, and the strong statements / research which come out of NATO and other anti-Russian establishments? I can't believe people would vote for Trump, but let's face it, they did because they believed his economy promises. I can't believe people voted for Putin, but Russia's economy has flourished under his reign, before him, people literally starved to death. I can't believe people vote for Erdogan, but Türkiye's economy is magnitudes stronger and fairer than it was before the AKP reign. Perhaps these democracies are working as intended, and people just cast short-sighted, greed-driven votes?
everdev 8y ago
The same way most Americans don't approve of or want to be associated with Trump. Democracies allow more freedom of choice, but large minorities or even small majorities in democracies can be ruled by people they see as detrimental to the country or opposed to their own personal views. I'm sure this is compounded by voter intimidation, limits on free speech, etc. We have a long way to go in the US and Russia until every person is directly represented by either themselves or someone they ideologically agree with. Winner take all democracies are certainly better than aristocracies or dictatorships, but still result in the misrepresentation of huge portions of the population.

Seeing as Russia has been a democracy for 25 years, isn't this just absolving the Russian populace of any guilt or responsibility over their choice in government, or the actions of said government?

Eldt 8y ago

How democratic exactly do you think their election process is?

expathacker 8y ago
I do not know, do you? I'm guessing that neither of us have observed their election process in person, or are experts in the fairness of their, or any other democratic process. If you are, please school me, I'm a willing student. I am a US citizen, my birth nation has "elected" two presidents who failed to win the popular vote. 2% of my fellow citizens are unable to vote due to felony convictions. On top of this, the practice known as gerrymandering is essentially carte blanche for a state's ruling power to ensure continuous victories due to the complicated nature of an inconsistent federalist voting system.
- meowface 8y ago
  The US's election system has many issues, but Russia's system (at the present moment) is a complete charade. At least with the US system, the rules and loopholes (as stupid as they are) are transparent, known, and understood ahead of time. There's no funny business behind the curtain. In Russia, elections are secretly manipulated by the state. The US is a sometimes-dysfunctional democracy, but Russia doesn't have a democracy at all.
  - expathacker 8y ago
    Well, to be a little bit pedantic, the USA doesn't have a democracy either, we have a representative republic. You're speculating as to the state of Russia's democracy. Have you any specific proof of your allegations? I'm guessing your proof lays primarily with that which is published in the media, and the strong statements / research which come out of NATO and other anti-Russian establishments? I can't believe people would vote for Trump, but let's face it, they did because they believed his economy promises. I can't believe people voted for Putin, but Russia's economy has flourished under his reign, before him, people literally starved to death. I can't believe people vote for Erdogan, but Türkiye's economy is magnitudes stronger and fairer than it was before the AKP reign. Perhaps these democracies are working as intended, and people just cast short-sighted, greed-driven votes?

everdev 8y ago

The same way most Americans don't approve of or want to be associated with Trump. Democracies allow more freedom of choice, but large minorities or even small majorities in democracies can be ruled by people they see as detrimental to the country or opposed to their own personal views. I'm sure this is compounded by voter intimidation, limits on free speech, etc. We have a long way to go in the US and Russia until every person is directly represented by either themselves or someone they ideologically agree with. Winner take all democracies are certainly better than aristocracies or dictatorships, but still result in the misrepresentation of huge portions of the population.