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Mikhail Gorbachev has died

(www.reuters.com)
970 points homarp | 2 comments | 30 Aug 22 20:37 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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lapcat ◴[30 Aug 22 21:07 UTC] No.32655071[source]▶
The United States didn't do enough to help Russia transition to democracy in the 1990s. There was no "Marshall Plan" after the Cold War like there was after World War II. This was a huge mistake, and we see the consequences now, with Russia having turned back toward totalitarianism and imperialism. Sadly, it seems that Gorbachev's efforts were mostly for naught. But it was courageous at the time to open up the Soviet Union to glasnost and perestroika.

Of course Yeltsin was a big part of the problem too.

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duxup ◴[30 Aug 22 21:18 UTC] No.32655216[source]▶
The locals in power have to want to do it too. As soon as enough don’t want it, it is over.

I’m skeptical of the idea that you can impose Democracy.

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hnhg ◴[30 Aug 22 21:47 UTC] No.32655579[source]▶
You couldn’t impose democracy on many parts of the USA if it were suddenly removed, let’s face it.
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ghostwriter ◴[30 Aug 22 21:51 UTC] No.32655635[source]▶
that's good, as the US is a constitutional republic
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1. vkou ◴[30 Aug 22 23:04 UTC] No.32656317[source]▶
You're in the small, but vocal minority of people who incorrectly believe that direct democracy is the only form of democracy that exists, or that the term 'constitutional republic' says literally anything about how a country is governed.

The US is a respresentative democracy that is also a constitutional republic.

Denmark is a representative democracy that is also a constitutional monarchy.

Canada is a representative democracy that is also an unconstitutional monarchy.

Russia is a kind-of-if-you-squint-but-not-really-representative oligarchy-slash-autocracy that is also a constitutional republic.

Whether or not a country has a constitution, or is a republic has almost no bearing on how it is actually governed.

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2. ghostwriter ◴[30 Aug 22 23:22 UTC] No.32656460[source]▶
> who incorrectly believe that direct democracy is the only form of democracy that exists

I never claimed that. You are trying to address a non-existing point.

Aslo, being in minority has never been an indicator of wrong by default, so I don't see why you had to mention it. At least I know that the US embassy also finds it important to remind everyone about the difference [1].

> or that the term 'constitutional republic' says literally anything about how a country is governed. [...] Whether or not a country has a constitution, or is a republic has almost no bearing on how it is actually governed.

It does have a significant bearing on applicability of popular vote in a given federation.

[1] https://ar.usembassy.gov/education-culture/irc/u-s-governmen...