4 ms·

Cuba actually has a democratic process, believe it or not.

4str0n0mer 4y ago
Many dictatorships actually do. The question is more like "is it a process that only exists on paper?". If an election ends with a 98% approval of the supreme leader (or whatever the designation), then it's probably rigged and just for show...
- nszceta 4y ago
  Pray tell
- pmontra 4y ago
  To give an example Italy had an election with 98.5% for the fascist party in 1929. That was to confirm or reject the list of house members appointed by the party. I mean, there were no candidates to chose from, the ones in the list would be... elected?
alehlopeh 4y ago
So does Russia, believe it or not.
- EGreg 4y ago
  Does Saudi Arabia?
  - DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
    Saudi Arabia doesn't pretend to be a democracy.
arlcode 4y ago
So do China, North Korea or Russia. Sometimes there are even multiple parties. Is there a chance that the people in power (at any level of government) get voted out?
- booleandilemma 4y ago
  Ha, your comment got me thinking: is there a chance Democrats and Republicans will ever be voted out?
  - Waterluvian 4y ago
    The Whigs did so it’s possible! ;)
    - ClumsyPilot 4y ago
      thats 250 years ago damn it!
    - midoridensha 4y ago
      This shows exactly how party change comes in a 2-party system (enforced by Duverger's Law due to first-past-the-post voting). One of the two main parties implodes for some reason, so the other party gets all the power. But that can't be sustained because there's different factions within that party, so the big party breaks in half, and you're right back to a 2-party system.
  - paulryanrogers 4y ago
    The party system in the US does feel rigged to entrench the two remaining parties in the US. My hope is dropping first past the pole and adding ranked choice will help break up the duopoly. Still, there are glimmers of hope now and again. Like Ross Pero running as independent or the Bull Moose party.
    - smcl 4y ago
      The GOP really suffered in recent Alaskan elections after they adopted Ranked Choice voting. So expect them to very loudly and strongly oppose it being adopted anywhere, with a lot of bad-faith arguments implying it's a form of electoral corruption/manipulation and holding it up as an example of Democrat trickery.

Many dictatorships actually do. The question is more like "is it a process that only exists on paper?". If an election ends with a 98% approval of the supreme leader (or whatever the designation), then it's probably rigged and just for show...

nszceta 4y ago
Pray tell
pmontra 4y ago
To give an example Italy had an election with 98.5% for the fascist party in 1929. That was to confirm or reject the list of house members appointed by the party. I mean, there were no candidates to chose from, the ones in the list would be... elected?

alehlopeh 4y ago

So does Russia, believe it or not.

EGreg 4y ago
Does Saudi Arabia?
- DaiPlusPlus 4y ago
  Saudi Arabia doesn't pretend to be a democracy.

arlcode 4y ago

So do China, North Korea or Russia. Sometimes there are even multiple parties. Is there a chance that the people in power (at any level of government) get voted out?

booleandilemma 4y ago
Ha, your comment got me thinking: is there a chance Democrats and Republicans will ever be voted out?
- Waterluvian 4y ago
  The Whigs did so it’s possible! ;)
  - ClumsyPilot 4y ago
    thats 250 years ago damn it!
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    This shows exactly how party change comes in a 2-party system (enforced by Duverger's Law due to first-past-the-post voting). One of the two main parties implodes for some reason, so the other party gets all the power. But that can't be sustained because there's different factions within that party, so the big party breaks in half, and you're right back to a 2-party system.
- paulryanrogers 4y ago
  The party system in the US does feel rigged to entrench the two remaining parties in the US. My hope is dropping first past the pole and adding ranked choice will help break up the duopoly. Still, there are glimmers of hope now and again. Like Ross Pero running as independent or the Bull Moose party.
  - smcl 4y ago
    The GOP really suffered in recent Alaskan elections after they adopted Ranked Choice voting. So expect them to very loudly and strongly oppose it being adopted anywhere, with a lot of bad-faith arguments implying it's a form of electoral corruption/manipulation and holding it up as an example of Democrat trickery.