Whether they are honest or not is difficult to ascertain, even in this country. It depends on who interprets the results. The side which expects to lose can always declare a boycott, and the results will be inconclusive. It can also be argued that even if the voting and administration is honest, how the issues are presented and the balloting organized can always be rigged to favor one side or the other. And how are the candidates or alternatives to be voted on selected?

And there is always the possibility that the voters will elect a monster, or a policy which is blatantly undemocratic, if not downright hideous. Even in nations that are now considered democratic, very often the system evolved through a historical process which was not. And of course, if a substantial portion of the population does not accept the process, can it ever be considered truly fair?

As the ancient Athenians learned, democracy has its problems, and if we can't systematize it, preferably from scratch, what legitimacy does it have over any other form of government? The Romans (and our own founders) preferred a republic, and there have always been oligarchies that use their stranglehold over economic affairs to influence whatever political system has evolved.

No government at all is a seductive fiction. There is no such thing, someone is always in charge, and even the most chaotic anarchy usually has a ruling elite pulling the strings, generally the major property owners. The most humane governments seem to be those with long and stable histories which have evolved traditions and procedures which are followed primarily out of habit. These institutions may be of little intrinsic value in and of themselves, but they seem to prevent excursions into tyranny caused by momentary instabilities.

Democracy, freedom, liberty, whatever you call it, is not easy and probably depends as much on luck as anything else. Contemplating these remarks, I might feel very pessimistic about its future if it weren't for the fact that it seems to be on the rise, and when considered historically and geographically, getting better all the time. Democracy has its problems, but I think it is on the ascendancy. Even those countries which clearly are not democracies tend to call themselves democracies. That's progress, as early as three centuries ago, it was considered government by the mob. A lot of our present day oligarchs still feel that way, but now they dare not say it publically. That's progress.