[thenomad]

One could, however, argue that Thomas Jefferson had some valid points on democracies and the running therof. And it's him that V for Vendetta was riffing off:

“A government afraid of its citizens is a Democracy. Citizens afraid of government is tyranny!”

[goblin89]

On the other hand, a point could be made that it's totalitarian regimes where governments are afraid of their citizens (those in fear of losing their powers, especially illegitimately obtained, start suppressing freedoms and surveilling everyone).