[JasonC]

Of course it is a democracy. I am talking about the cultural aspects of what is considered possible behavior. Nobody would ever start a fistfight on the floor of the Senate because of a filibuster. It is unthinkable, culturally speaking. The background mores on which the Senate operates are those of a New England town meeting. It seems to me that background of mores is absent in Korea and also in Japan. I am sure they are committed to democracy and understand its value and benefits. But they aren't operating it the same way we do, it does not fit into previous culture the same way ours does. Want another Korean example? We have demonstrations and confrontations with police regularly. Usually orderly, sometimes not but not violent, occasionally violent but when so, extremely disorganized. A Korean labor riot looks like a roman battle by comparison.

[maro]

There were fistfights in the U.S. Senate in the 19th century, yet America never had feudalism.