The USA is the only Democratic Country in the World. Discuss.

[MarkG]

ok so the title should be "The USA is the only Republican Country in the World. Discuss."
and then noone would care to disagree

[MikeH]

[Kropotkin]

The entire thread-concept falls when the thread-starter Ozzyp makes generalization of the rest of the world from one single example; GB. They obviously have a political system that should not be used for generalizations about any other so called democracy.

There's also a great confusion over the definition and meaning of the word democracy here that I'd not even gonna though with a stick. The US is, as Boris pointed out, not exacly the best example of a democracy either thus also a bad example for generalizations.

This thread was stil-born!

[Clear Skies]

I think what turned me off US government most is the fact that Bush can actually get less votes than Gore, plus having a major dispute over Florida, win by such a tiny margin, and yet still have something approaching absolute power. If a government in Britain were to win only a small majority of constituencies (like states, but a lot smaller ) then that goevrnment would be significantly weak, but the American presidential system is very absolutionist (is that a word?)

[Ecowiz Returns]

To say a country is the only democratic country in the world would surelly require much more than just checking two countries and proclaming one is equal to all the others. The moment Ozzy said all european political systems are closer to the British than the English, without a clue about how the other systems operate, I confess I stoped reading.

I would recomend Ozzy to make further investigations regarding his claim.

If you would like, Ozzy, I could give you some pointers about the Portuguese Democracy, since you know nothing about it, and since I find the British democracy much closer to the American, than to our own. But, I would require that you don't have a apriorist perspective of the sort: if it is even more distinct from the "only democracy in the world" than there is no way it can be called "democracy".

There are many systems, and your's is far from perfect. In fact, some problems arise in the US' democratic system that are simply impossible in ours (like have the executive elected with less votes than an oposing party).

[Ecowiz Returns]

Originally posted by MarkG
ok so the title should be "The USA is the only Republican Country in the World. Discuss."
and then noone would care to disagree

I wouldn't bet on that Mark.

[Tom201]

Switzerland is the only true democracy, there ppl. can vote on issues themselves, than just vote for someone who they think might have the same opinion (or not).

[Roland]

Originally posted by SMAC Fanatic
If a government in Britain were to win only a small majority of constituencies (like states, but a lot smaller ) ...

I think the proper analogy would be: "If a government in Britain were to win only a small majority of constituencies by winning the rotten boroughs through judicial fiat.... "

[Tom201]

Besides how much % of ppl. came to the last election in the US?

[Richelieu]

Originally posted by Ned
I too have wonder why more countries have not adopted the U.S. model.
Ned

Well... because we've seen the results.

[Provost Harrison]

Pathetic Ozzy. It's funny how you think that your own country is the only democratic one, yet the rest of the world laughs at you for thinking that your nation is democratic when it is a plutocracy.

[Rogan Josh]

Another problem with the american electoral procedure is the manner of choosing the candadacy of one of the parties. Doesn't it strike anyone else as fishy that the current US President is the son of last-but-one US President? That isn't a democracy - it's a monarchy!

[Provost Harrison]

Dare I say 'Kennedy' as well

[aaglo]

This Kennedy-monarchy was already a subject in 10 000 300 threads...

[Provost Harrison]

10 000 301 now