Well, the Turkish Military Just Rolled Over...

[cbhausen]

But the military and government get the best toys... The populace gets whatever their elected officials see fit to trust them with.

 

[Alamo]

Leftists, fascists, authoritarians use democracy to get elected, via promises to rob the rich and give to the poor. Once in power they infiltrate the organs of government, particularly the justice/police system and the military (first the leadership, then the followers), with their own supporters. This just not to support policy, they put in people who will be loyal regardless of the policy adopted.

They continue to tout democracy as long as they think their grip on the organs of government is not complete. Usually the "rich" they are robbing have enough to confiscate to hide the disaster that's happening to the economy -- and there is enough faith in money that they can print some more. Thus they survive another election or two. In the mean time they are u sing the press and the schools to dramatize the ideals of the "revolution", sacrifice, etc. Buys another couple elections where there is still some freedom to vote.

But eventually the hold on the instruments of power is firm enough, there are enough apparatchiks in place, that silly, messy, inefficient encumbrances like more than one political party can be dispensed with. Also it's more efficient if the government decides how the economy should operate, either directly or by telling the corporations how it should go (this is why fascists and leftists actually LIKE big corporations, much easier to control a few big companies rather than thousands of small ones). Only the people who have the "correct" view (climate change!) really need to be running things. So elections are boiled down to selecting which loyal bureaucrat or technocrat is best for the job, and it's more efficient if the politburo or the central committee does this. So only one candidate is needed. Some go for full efficiency and dispense with the elections altogether.

Jordan’s King Abdullah recounted telling details of a conversation: “Erdogan once said that democracy, for him, is a bus ride … 'once I get to my stop, I’m getting off’ ”.

(Jeffery Goldberg)

So no I don't have a lot of respect for the fact that Erdogan got himself elected, and yes the world would be better for having him removed. Democracy and elections only work if all the participants actually believe in it.