this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2025
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What is your line in the sand?

Edit: thank you all for your responses. I think it's important as an American we take your view points seriously. I think of a North Korean living inside of North Korea. They don't really know how bad it is because that is all hidden from them and they've never had anything else. As things get worse for Americans it's important to have your voices because we will become more and more isolated.

Even the guy who said, "lol." Some people need that sort of sobering reaction.

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[–] Greg@lemmy.ca 13 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

No but this isn't recent. My line in the sand was Russian interference in the 2016 US election that came to light in 2018.

*United States Democracy Index

[–] Meron35@lemmy.world 9 points 9 hours ago

Not for a long time. The Economist Democracy Index demoted the US to a "flawed democracy" since 2016, where it has been ever since.

Democracy index, 2024 - https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/democracy-index-eiu

[–] Propheticus@lemmy.zip 12 points 10 hours ago

Yes, but a bad example of one very quickly heading towards autocracy. Some characteristics like screwing up your own economy and blaming 'the foreigners' rings a distant bell.

[–] sirico@feddit.uk 8 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

The next election will tell, my tin hat is on Puting the US into a situation where an election can't be held so they can have a third term.

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[–] sem@lemmy.ml 12 points 10 hours ago

The answer depends of the reference point. I was born in Russia (I'm living abroad from 2022) and compared to the putin's dictatorship US is a democracy. You guys still have a freedom of speech, not fake opposition to Trump and independent courts. From the other side, most of the countries are democracies if compared to Russia..

[–] sasquash@sopuli.xyz 9 points 10 hours ago

Maybe a flawed democracy at best and it's getting worse every day. At least on federal level, I don't much about states politics. Not really an expert but democracy can't really work that well if you are stuck in a two party system. Having more choice would sure help against populists and autocrats.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 9 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Unfortunately, it's still a democracy. The electorate wanted what's now going on. That could rapidly change at this point, but for now not yet.

[–] MoonManKipper@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago (2 children)

Democracy is a sliding scale and the US is still on it. Could the people choose something different without resorting to violent revolution and protest? Yes

[–] Kissaki@feddit.org 2 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

I'm a bit skeptical about this argument because autocratic states love to hold practically fake and forced elections with 90 or 99 % approval and use that as justification.

[–] MoonManKipper@lemmy.world 1 points 5 hours ago

Sure, but that’s not the case in the US

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[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 1 points 8 hours ago

Unfortunately yes. People wanted this. They still want this. But people were also cheering for like, Mao even after he put millions of his own citizens into the ground, so who knows

[–] javacafe01@lemmy.sdf.org 7 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I am inside and I want to get out

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 4 points 8 hours ago

Same. Is there a sign up sheet, or...?

[–] Monkyhands 8 points 11 hours ago

No. I agree with the comment about the electoral system and gerrymandering as fundamental issues. And the current administration does not respect the judiciary branch, that much is clear, and their actions are completely undermining the supposed divisions of power, without which there is no democracy.

[–] Etterra@discuss.online 3 points 8 hours ago

Shit I live inside the US and I barely consider it a democracy.

[–] rpl6475@lemmy.ml 6 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Elective dictatorship, there is no accountability. Is there even a mechanism for the public to recall the president? Or is that it for the next 4 years?

[–] Reverendender@sh.itjust.works 3 points 8 hours ago

There is not. He would have to be impeached by the senate, and then convicted by the majority of the Senate. Since the majority are currently his sycophants, it's effectively not an option.

[–] Kidplayer_666@lemm.ee 6 points 10 hours ago

Yes. But becoming more flawed by the day

[–] gezero@lemmy.bowyerhub.uk 7 points 10 hours ago

I do. On my imaginary scale around 4 out of 10. So far the mess looks to me like it was voted in.

[–] cronenthal@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 10 hours ago

No, unfortunately.

[–] jabathekek@sopuli.xyz 5 points 10 hours ago

Never has been.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRT

[–] echo@lemmings.world 5 points 10 hours ago
[–] NeoNachtwaechter@lemmy.world 5 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

A demo-crazy.

Note that it is not democracy what Trumpeltier is destroying at the moment. It is the functioning of the state. This will take so many years to rebuild, if possible at all.

[–] Ziggurat@jlai.lu 5 points 10 hours ago

Serious answer : I am not living there, have no idea how to compare, nor whether the court system works as a safeguard.

Troll answer In democracy you have the right to healthcare and education, so it's been a while it isn't

[–] ACbHrhMJ@lemmy.world 3 points 10 hours ago

Yes, Americans voted for this administration

[–] RambaZamba@feddit.org 3 points 10 hours ago

That's a retorical question, isn't it?

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net -1 points 6 hours ago

An American, but it never was a democracy. It's always been a republic with a few democratic mechanisms.

Which is good, IMO, or we would've gotten here much sooner. Populism is where democracies go to die, and the mechanisms of a representative republic help keep your average idiots from collectively voting us there.

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