@metal-brain saidNo free elections in the sense that no serious opposition is allowed to stand. Check out the attempted assassination of Navalny. Often you’ll find allies and family friends of Putin with no chance of winning running but woe betide them if they start gathering poll numbers.
They hold elections too. It appears to be a democracy.
If you don't think Russia is a democracy what are your reasons?
No serious press freedoms.
I think they had a brief flirtation with democracy when the wall came down but they ended up getting screwed by the west and domestic oligarchs to the point that the economy crashed and the ordinary Russians had a really hard time.
It’s was a lost opportunity by the west who could have nurtured a massive new democracy instead of kicking Russia while it was down.
18 Dec 20
@kevcvs57 saidWhy would Navalny be a threat if there is no democracy in Russia? If elections were rigged why attempt to assassinate him? Seems like a contradiction to me.
No free elections in the sense that no serious opposition is allowed to stand. Check out the attempted assassination of Navalny. Often you’ll find allies and family friends of Putin with no chance of winning running but woe betide them if they start gathering poll numbers.
No serious press freedoms.
I think they had a brief flirtation with democracy when the wall came dow ...[text shortened]... he west who could have nurtured a massive new democracy instead of kicking Russia while it was down.
18 Dec 20
@metal-brain saidI never said they were rigged, why would you have to rig an election if Putin and his party are the only real option allowed to stand. I’m sure they would rig them if they had to but I don’t know the actual mechanics of Russian elections in terms of voting, collating transparency.
Why would Navalny be a threat if there is no democracy in Russia? If elections were rigged why attempt to assassinate him? Seems like a contradiction to me.
That’s why they keep trying to imprison and assassinate Navalny because he is a serious electoral threat and he refuses to stand down
18 Dec 20
@kevcvs57 - It’s was a lost opportunity by the west who could have nurtured a massive new democracy instead of kicking Russia while it was down.
Bingo!!
Like a severely depleted Russia represented a threat to invade Europe. Jeeeezus.
And all the West could do is dig in to Mudda'Russia and not let her normalize
18 Dec 20
@metal-brain saidNorth Korea and China also hold elections .
They hold elections too. It appears to be a democracy.
If you don't think Russia is a democracy what are your reasons?
18 Dec 20
@earl-of-trumps saidThat’s one of the reasons I don’t believe in the big global government conspiracy theories. The first thing you’d expect from that would be evidence of intelligent life.
@kevcvs57 - It’s was a lost opportunity by the west who could have nurtured a massive new democracy instead of kicking Russia while it was down.
Bingo!!
Like a severely depleted Russia represented a threat to invade Europe. Jeeeezus.
And all the West could do is dig in to Mudda'Russia and not let her normalize
18 Dec 20
@metal-brain saidElections alone do not a democracy make. China too holds elections, farcical rubber-stamp rituals. True democracy requires a number of functioning institutions, in addition to elections. These include a politically independent press and judiciary, and at least one healthy opposition party which has a real chance to unseat the party in power. None of which is the case in Russia or China.
They hold elections too. It appears to be a democracy.
If you don't think Russia is a democracy what are your reasons?
19 Dec 20
@kevcvs57 saidNavalny had low poll numbers.
I never said they were rigged, why would you have to rig an election if Putin and his party are the only real option allowed to stand. I’m sure they would rig them if they had to but I don’t know the actual mechanics of Russian elections in terms of voting, collating transparency.
That’s why they keep trying to imprison and assassinate Navalny because he is a serious electoral threat and he refuses to stand down
He was hardly a threat.
19 Dec 20
@moonbus saidThe USA too.
Elections alone do not a democracy make. China too holds elections, farcical rubber-stamp rituals. True democracy requires a number of functioning institutions, in addition to elections. These include a politically independent press and judiciary, and at least one healthy opposition party which has a real chance to unseat the party in power. None of which is the case in Russia or China.
Everything you said applies to the USA.
19 Dec 20
@Metal-Brain
So tell me, how many posts do you think THIS one will give you when you start belly laughing at all the suckers who post here.
I stopped bothering trying to argue with you since you don't argue, you PONTIFICAT and we are supposed to swallow every piece of garbage you puke up here.
A PERFECT troll, that is you.
Trump LOST, get over it. It is time for you to join the human race and realize Trump was a disaster from day one, no, even BEFORE day one of his so-called presidency.
He was NOT some kind of real estate genius, his DADDY bailed his sorry ass out to the tune of near half a billion dollars.
If you don't believe me, don't ask ME to give you the evidence, it is all over the net, YOU google it if you want the truth.
But of course you don't WANT the truth, you ONLY want to extend these posts as long as you can so you can have a belly laugh at our expense.
You fool nobody.
19 Dec 20
@sonhouse saidYou are trolling, hypocrite.
@Metal-Brain
So tell me, how many posts do you think THIS one will give you when you start belly laughing at all the suckers who post here.
I stopped bothering trying to argue with you since you don't argue, you PONTIFICAT and we are supposed to swallow every piece of garbage you puke up here.
A PERFECT troll, that is you.
Trump LOST, get over it. It is time for yo ...[text shortened]... end these posts as long as you can so you can have a belly laugh at our expense.
You fool nobody.
This is the debate forum, not the troll instead of debate forum.