>Just how much veto power do you think the average person has in Russia and China when the elites choose to do something? They don't, but most of them don't ca

>Just how much veto power do you think the average person has in Russia and China when the elites choose to do something? They don't, but most of them don't care, because the leaders are getting things done. They may not be the things you want done, or some other malcontents, but to say authoritarian systems are completely ineffectual is just wrong. They really do get things done. The problem is that they usually get the wrong things done (e.g., idiotic wars in Ukraine). But most of the citizens in those places are easily misled into believing these actions are justified or necessary. Authoritarians frequently come into power because the previous systems weren't working well, and people wanted a strong leader to take power. Just look at the Roman Empire for example.