Obama thinks the US is the only democracy in the world

[Hannah Bell]

We all know that Republicans live in the past. What century is never completely clear, but it's not the 21st, and not even the second half of the 20th. But tonight, Barack Obama joined them by making temporal consusion a bipartisan enterprise, in which America is the only democracy on earth!

It's no secret that those of us here tonight have had our differences over the last two years. The debates have been contentious; we have fought fiercely for our beliefs. And that's a good thing. That's what a robust democracy demands. That's what helps set us apart as a nation....

We should have no illusions about the work ahead of us. Reforming our schools; changing the way we use energy; reducing our deficit - none of this is easy. All of it will take time. And it will be harder because we will argue about everything. The cost. The details. The letter of every law.

Of course, some countries don't have this problem. If the central government wants a railroad, they get a railroad - no matter how many homes are bulldozed. If they don't want a bad story in the newspaper, it doesn't get written.

And yet, as contentious and frustrating and messy as our democracy can sometimes be, I know there isn't a person here who would trade places with any other nation on Earth.

http://www.openleft.com/diary/21507/sotuwhat-century-is-it

[Kaleva]

1. That's not what he said

"Of course,some countries don't have this problem."

[nxylas]

7. He also said he wouldn't trade places...

..."with any other country in the world".

[Kaleva]

19. I wouldn't either....

but that doesn't mean that believe that the US is the only democracy in the world.

[phleshdef]

2. Somebody apparently doesn't know what the definition of "some" is.

[offmybrain]

3. When did the U.S. become a democracy?

We never have been,and never will be.

[Lorien]

5. I was wondering that myself. nt

[EFerrari]

4. If the central government wants NOLA to be a white city, it makes a white city

no matter how many homes are bulldozed. If they don't want a bad story in the newspaper about the Gulf of Mexico, it doesn't get written.

I see nothing "messy" here.

[Mimosa]

6. I wish I had been born in a country with affordable public health care system

What a strange SOTU speech it is. I'm listening now.

[davidpdx]

9. Healthcare should be a right

I live in South Korea and they have one of the best healthcare systems in the world.

[davidpdx]

8. Not true

He mentioned South Korea at least twice (which stunned me actually), therefore he is comparing our democracy to others in the world. Sorry, it's pure bullshit.

[blindpig]

10. American Exceptionalism...

always a cheap button to push.

Yeah, it's democracy, of a sort, bourgeois democracy, where the people vote and go home while the ruling class has their way on anything of moment to them.

[TBF]

15. Yes, sort of a dog and pony show -

we pretend to vote and they pretend to care. Meanwhile, top 1% is in charge, owns everything of real value (including the press), and does what they want. Mr. Obama realizes who he works for - and it ain't the bottom 99%.

[kath]

23. "we pretend to vote and they pretend to care"

a-yup.

[somone]

11. Plenty of people I know would rather live in Canada

or a country where there is universal health care and less bullshit

[WinkyDink]

12. Hello, Switzerland! France! Scandinavia! Australia! NZ! Etc.! Not to mention: EMINENT DOMAIN.

God, I hate this jingoistic pabulum.

[robcon]

13. The U.S. is not the only democracy, but it's the best democracy, IMO.

Our primary system to get nominees is the best in the world.

[WinkyDink]

14. And where would you rank the actual experiences of the citizens?

[robcon]

16. At the top, or near it.

n/t

[Godhumor]

17. Honestly, people expect the PRESIDENT of the country to stand up and say

anything else? My god, this is just stupid.

[sufrommich]

20. +1 nt.

[dionysus]

18. i think you can do much better than this comrade bell.

[leftstreet]

21. I thought red-baiting was frowned on here

:shrug:

[QC]

24. Lately, red-baiting is a sacrament here. n/t

[Statistical]

22. False claim not even supported by your own quote.

There are Democracies (of which US is one of them) and there are command economies (of which China is one of them).