[bots]

Originally Posted by lostalex

i'm sorry, did you just say there is no pretense that Russia and China are democracies? because i'm pretty sure both claim to represent their people and that they adhere to democratic principles. so how do you figure that there are no pretenses?

Having lived in Russia for several years, I think I can judge it pretty well, as can the people that live there.

Democracy is not an absolute, it is something that reflects the society that implements their version of it. That is why it is ludicrous to hold the USA up as some beacon, because its not. It pretends to be more than it is. Russia and China don't pretend.