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unknownsky | on: TikTok goes dark in the US
Are you saying the United States is a bastion of democracy? It's not even classified as a full democracy. The list of full democracies are Canada, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, and Mauritius.

United States is classified as a flawed democracy. Partly because sweeping decisions like this one are made by Supreme Court Justices who nobody voted for and who hold their position for life.

Or maybe that's what you meant and you were being sarcastic with the quotation marks around "bastion of democracy"?

necovek | parent | next
I am not making a statement, mostly portraying the official stance from the USA government that has just had their decision to ban TikTok come into effect.

As in, due to their official stance, we should not expect reciprocity at all.

But you did pique my curiosity, where did you get that list of "full democracies"?

mirzap | parent | next
In almost every country, the President or the Parliament selects Supreme Court Justices. In some countries, the President picks x, and the Parliament picks y. They don't have terms. Direct democracy does not make sense when selecting justices.
pigeons | parent
Canada has a king.
defrost | root | parent
So?

A number of democratic countries have residual symbolic figureheads.

pigeons | root | parent
In Canada all laws the legislature passes have to be approved by the monarch or the monarch's representative.

In Canada the monarch is the judicial branch. Ministers are appointed and dismissed by the monarch. Parliament can be adjourned by the monarch.

defrost | root | parent
Again, so?

When was they last time these things weren't rubber stamped?

What do you suppose would happen should the symbolic monarch not rubber stamp procedure?

Why is it that Canada, et al are regarded in the world as "full democracies" whereas the US is ramked a bit lower as a "flawed democracy"?

( See: peer comment with wikipedia link to democratic rankings )