You're very generous to suggest they've ever been anything like a democracy.
> Subjects like this, where lots of believers have knee reflex reactions and just hate, don't work on HN or on any non-moderated discussion board
Indeed.
"The dependence of the U.S. economy and the federal finances on war and organized crime is significant and to date enjoys the popular support of the general population.
I have written about the federal governments involvement in narcotics trafficking and financial fraud, and support in the general population for that involvement. Here are four excerpts:
.....
One of the dirty little secrets behind the housing bubble is the long standing partnership of narcotics trafficking and mortgage fraud and the use of the two in combination to target and destroy minority and poor communities with highly profitable economic warfare. This model is global. It is operating in counties throughout the world as well as in US communities."
Other excerpts can be read here:
Are you arguing for or against symmetry? The US has gotten much better since the end of the Cold War, but we still prop up the House of Saud, for example.
Russia is quickly turning away from [Edit: the road to] democracy, the state seems to become integrated with organized crime. And Russia support some of today's worst mass murderers/torturers.
That is a large lack of symmetry... which you are fully aware of, but ignore yourself.
And no, I'm not arguing that USA, or any other place, is perfect. But there are grades of grey.
Subjects like this, where lots of believers have knee reflex reactions and just hate, don't work on HN or on any non-moderated discussion board. (And that is even before the trolls come out to make fun of the fanatics.)