<the franchise has to extend to the entire adult population (to meet the modern definition of democracy)>
In the Age of Lies, everyone has to pretend to be a democracy (as well as being peace-loving tree-huggers). But not nearly every nation actually intends on being a democracy (or being peaceful or Green). So, various clever subterfuges are needed. And various clever people rise to the occasion, and make a career out of pretending pigs will fly, and erecting Potenkin Villages, and defining Black as White.
The modern ways to lie about being a democracy, is this:
1. Write a Constitution and a set of laws, that look very liberal and democratic.
2. Place the enforcement of these laws and Constitutions, in the hands of Authoritarians who can be counted on not to enforce them. Peace Institutes should be headed by people who love war. National Forests should be administered by people who love clear-cutting. Affirmative action programs should be supervised by people who don't believe in it. And so on.
3. Extend the boundaries of actual military, economic, and political control, without formally annexing the territory. The model for this is Guantanamo and Gaza.
Guantanamo is, de jure, a part of Cuba, while the U.S. de facto exercises 100% control. No Constitution, no Bill of Rights, no oversight, no court jurisdiction at Guantanamo. Total control, with zero responsibility or accountability. The Perfect Playground for Authoritarians.
Similarly, in Israel's Not-Officially-Annexed Territories. On that land, Israel takes whatever it wants (land, water, etc.), and does whatever it wants (settlements, Walls, roadblocks, etc.). It exercises sovereign power, in every meaningful way. By not formally annexing land that they have no intention of ever giving up (as evidenced by an absolutely rigid insistence on holding on to every settlement in every corner of the Occupied Territories), they can maintain the pretense of being a democracy, without the substance. They have elections and political campaigns and parties, and transfers of power from one Jewish Party to another, while permanently denying half the population (5 million non-Jews on both sides of the Green Line) any real power.
You have to look at the reality of power, not the official nonsense. |
