We get the same thing about Moslems today. And there was a time when Catholic Latin America got the "they don't really have the capacity to value democracy" line to excuse lack of freedom.
But back to Asia. I love it when a thug state has elections, even when they are blatantly fraudulant, as in Burma (Myanmar):
The government has banned foreign reporters from observing the November 7th elections. This indicates that the military government is planning to use fraud if it appears (as is likely) that the vote will go against the pro-military candidates. The pro-military government parties have already arranged to have all government employees vote correctly, or else (identity information on government workers has been collected, to provide a realistic threat of retaliation.) A lot of government money is being spent on gifts for voters who can be influenced to vote for the pro-dictatorship (current government) candidates.I'll ask again, as I asked about the rigged elections in Iran in 2009, if elections and democracy are such alien concepts, why do the rulers go to such extreme lengths to pretend to have them?
Why not just have their autorcracy and assert that their system is what their values support?
And why do their people vote? Why don't they protest the alien elections concept and just ask for a nice dictator to make their choices for them and keep them from doing something stupid from that silly freedom thing?
Voting isn't the alpha and omega of democracy and freedom. You need rule of law, too. But it is surely necessary, and thug rulers know it. Which is why they go to great lengths to pretend to have elections.
