[A. Pole]

This is the level at which one looks for changes - and at this level the things are unchangeable.

Are you saying that abolishment of serfdom in Russia and slavery in USA (about the same time) did not change things at fundamental level?

When FDR was elected FOUR times was it a sign of despotism? Putin is as popular as FDR for similar reasons.

[GSlob]

Yes, I'm saying precisely that, for the level you mentioned I see as superficial and not as truly fundamental. Serfdom in its essential features [sans the sales of the serfs- they became state property, nobody was left to sell them to] was effectively reborn in "kolkhoses" - which begs the question, how thoroughly had it been abolished, and from which more socially fundamental phenomena did it get reborn? And the absence of such re-birth in the US means that the slavery here existed as sociologically superficial [with regard to the basis of civilization] phenomenon.

[Tailgunner Joe]

When FDR was elected FOUR times was it a sign of despotism?

Yes. As soon as the tyrant died we changed the constitution to keep this from ever happening again.