[Just A Nobody]

...American democracy is in reality a facade: while elections do take place on the surface, a behind-the-scenes process led by a handful of people really decides who rules America.

Aside from the fact that America is NOT a democracy, but rather a republic, I have to agree with them on this point. This election, most especially the primaries, proves the point beyond a shadow of a doubt.

[Cronos]

Well, actually we need to remember that Democracy has two meanings: a popular type of government--that is, featuring genuinely free elections by the people periodically while there is a difference in the types of popular governments: democracies and republics: the rule of the majority and the rule of representatives in 3 forms: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. The Islamic world suffers in that it has NO truly free government of the people (exceptions may be in the new Pakistan government and, to some extent Malaysia -- the latter due to it's high Chinese and Indian non-Muslim population). For these people any government that is not despotic is a wonder and when they see America, a predominantly European-origin nation, elect a mixed race man to it's highest office, they marvel.


The person on the street starts to wonder why they have absolute Sheikhs/Kings/Emirs or Presidents for life and wonder at the majesty of a country that can elect a minority (ok, part-minority) man as it's head of government --> that would never happen in their current world.