So I'm going to start in Europe. Central Europe to be specific. I do this for two reasons. Firstly because I'm Slovenian and this is what I know and live in. If Americans can make casual assumptions about what is and isn't a key feature of Parliamentary Democracy when talking government, I think I can make them too. Maybe this will make it easier for readers to detect and dissent my cached thoughts? Or maybe think about unexamined beliefs of their own. For example did you know that many modern western Parliamentary democracies have, even one very close culturally to the US have weak separation of powers? Or don't really have free speech as you know it?
As an American (immigrant from Eastern Europe, but that's not very relevant) I would find an argument against democracy based on who well it works in Eastern Europe about as relevant to American democracy, as someone on lesswrong would find an argument against rationality based on the mistakes Spock makes.
I was talking of Central not Eastern Europe. While Slovenia is indeed a former communist country, I focus far more on the states we have sought to model ourselves after (Germany, Scandinavia, ect.) that any deviations or imperfections we may have to them comparing ourselves by our standards. Also I suggest you check your assumptions, Slovenia is a developed country by nearly any ranking, and indeed one of the very much nicer parts of the planet to live in and according to international opinion and the estimates of various organizations one of the "mor...
If it's worth saying, but not worth its own post (even in Discussion), then it goes here.