Is this Democracy?

[a777pilot]

Iran just completed what they say was an election. How many of you consider this democracy?

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/14 ... latestnews


I just want to say, from my pin of view this was and is not anything close to democracy. In a democracy the people choose their leaders, not some un-elected religious "Supreme Leader".

Not one candidate can be on any ballot if not approved by the "Supreme Leader".

[Winchester]

The powers that be "choose" a slate of candidates, how novel.

[The Comrade]

it's a corrupt democracy but i'd hardly call it a dictatorship.


it's a republic in the sense that rome was.

[Sparse1]

It's not exactly government by the people so is hardly democracy. On the other hand the cards are reshuffled with a little openness and freedom so it isn't exactly a dictatorship either.

I personally don't have any problem with their system. Candidates are vetted to ensure they are the right religion, patriotic enough and they don't tend to be mass-murdering psychopaths.

It's not our way of doing things, but it is better than what a lot of the world comes up with - particularly some 'democracies' - and it keeps things fairly stable.

[a777pilot]

"I personally don't have any problem with their system."

What a stupid thing to say. I've come to expect that of some.

[The Dharma Bum]

One ought to worry about the problems in one's own system before one worries about someone else's problems.

[Sparse1]

[eynon81]

[a777pilot]

[The Dharma Bum]

It's exactly how we do it. Because that is how ALL states operate.

We have a political class, and no one who has not been extensively groomed to be a member of that class is ever going to be elected for anything above the local level.