[Zviadist]

Folks show up at mass rallies in totalitarian countries more from fear than from willingness...

Motivation is not the point: that they are there confers "democratic" legitimacy on the regime. No one questions your motives to vote; they can be any number of things. But your ballot casting confers legitimacy on the regime. The point is that both look to the people -- despite methods -- for legitimacy. Monarchies were fundamentally different.

[dirtboy]

Motivation is not the point: that they are there confers "democratic" legitimacy on the regime. No one questions your motives to vote; they can be any number of things. But your ballot casting confers legitimacy on the regime. The point is that both look to the people -- despite methods -- for legitimacy.

That is still a convoluted attempt to equate fascism with democracy.

Monarchies were fundamentally different.

Not really. Look at what the Chinese said about the mandate of the people. And monarchies could be pretty bloodthirsty in their own right. The point is, the process of replacing monarchies with representative government coincided with the Industrial Revolution, which in turn led to much more massive wars due to economic and demographic factors that resulted from the Industrial Revolution - but that does not mean that massive war is a result of democracy, but of the Industrial Revolution itself.

[Aurelius]

I was just reminded by the recent eletion in Australia that voting is mandatory there.