[cluthe]

A democratic system that is being abused is better than no system of democracy at all. There are many efforts in the USA to get money out of politics and try to get true democracy again. Those efforts are happening within a democratic system, that you seem to be taking for granted, of which Hong Kong and China do not have.

[Mikeb85]

First of all, you must not have read anything about the HK situation, because they ARE being given the right to vote, candidates just have to be approved by Beijing (which is the problem).

Second, do you really think there's no democratic mechanisms at all in China? The communist party still needs to chose leaders from within itself...

And I'd argue that it's better to know one is under a dictatorship than to think one is free whilst being oppressed...

Finally, things in China aren't that bad, especially considering the past. Things are changing there, always for the better, I wouldn't be surprised if they're democratic by 2020. But it has to be at their pace, on their terms. Look how they embraced capitalism...

[cluthe]

I'm from Hong Kong, I'm sitting in Central Hong Kong right now. Read again what I said. If you think being able to vote between 2 or 3 CCP approved candidates is a real democratic system then I don't know what to say to you.

[Mikeb85]

No less democratic than being able to choose Democrat or GOP. Freedom in the US is an illusion.

Do you think any amount of protests in the US would change anything at all? The protesters would be arrested, beaten, then charged with crimes and convicted by corrupt judges, and the whole memory of the affair would be swiftly swept under the rug by the mainstream media, who would be pressured by various government agencies to forget about it...

Protests don't change a damn thing in western countries, because the whole illusion is propagated by idiots who buy into the government propaganda. What did Occupy Wall Street change? Not a damn thing. Ferguson? Again, nothing.

[Terr_]

> No less democratic than being able to choose Democrat or GOP.

Wrong, it's much less democratic because it isn't just (A) which names are preprinted on the ballot or (B) candidates likely to be elected. No, you literally cannot make a valid choice beyond those pre-approved by Beijing.

> Protests don't change a damn thing in western countries

You're telling me that every single change to the US since ~1870 has been from something other than protests?

[Mikeb85]

> Wrong, it's much less democratic because it isn't just (A) which names are preprinted on the ballot or (B) candidates likely to be elected. No, you literally cannot make a valid choice beyond those pre-approved by Beijing.

And do you get any choice other than those approved by the Dems or GOP? What do you know about the vetting process of those two parties? How about third parties?

> You're telling me that every single change to the US since ~1870 has been from something other than protests?

How about changes in the last 3 decades? Once upon a time you had a semblance of a democracy, not so much lately...

[crazychrome]

> You're telling me that every single change to the US since ~1870 has been from something other than protests?

how many of them ended with gunshots?

[rjaco31]

Nice try, commie