• Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      That’s not necessarily true. Russia holds elections as well, doesn’t mean they are free and fair.

      It’s pretty naive to think that the US cannot become a de facto non-democratic state.

      • rottingleaf@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Like the last couple of elections were free and democratic.

        I guess counting of the votes was.

        But the system is sufficiently rigged already, Russians just don’t bother with such complex mechanisms. Why, when you can just steal. After all, a different kind of people.

        • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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          2 months ago

          I guess counting of the votes was.

          The 2000 and 2004 elections in russia are generally considered free and fair (2004 perhaps less so, but I digress). That didn’t really have an impact later on.

          But the system is sufficiently rigged already, Russians just don’t bother with such complex mechanisms. Why, when you can just steal. After all, a different kind of people.

          While I agree in general, having lived in North America for a decade (including US) and russia for over a decade, you’d be surprised about the similarities in certain (emphasis on certain, not even close to all or even many) elements of “national thinking” in the US and russia. That being said, historically US has had a positive impact in the world. I can’t think of a single thing that russia has done that has had a positive effect (even their much fetishized celebration of WW2 victory is a ruse as the USSR initially sided with the Nazis to split up Europe).