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Comment by scotty79 | Hacker News Reader

This is perfect opportunity for citizens to observe totalitarian capabilities of governments and on next election decide which ones are excessive.

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How so? Take the current target of the initial article. It has support from both sides and I think of the 4 lawmakers who initially brought it forward, there was a 50/50 split Republican and Democratic. It is more that we get to pick the flavor of totalitarian capabilities we live under, not if we have them or not.

Provided that next election is still happening.

From a dictator point of view, elections are still useful to provide citizens with false sense of democracy

Never going to happen. The general populace is full of bootlickers

Some totalitarian capabilities of government are not excessive? No, this is wrong.

Ability to quarantine seems totalitarian but does not seem excessive.

You're confusing totalitarian and authoritarian.

> Totalitarianism is a political system or a form of government that prohibits opposition parties, restricts individual opposition to the state and its claims, and exercises an extremely high degree of control over public and private life. It is regarded as the most extreme and complete form of authoritarianism.

I guess, but I think I'm not the only one. I think most people who scream 'totalitarian!' do the same.

Yes, people often speak and vote without knowing what they're talking about.

No, this is perfect opportunity for citizens to observe totalitarian capabilities of governments and establish a militia for armed protest. Totalitarian governments come by elections and go away with blood.

Franco took power, and was never overthrown. There are plenty more counter-examples to your argument.

Not only was he never overthrown (the only reason Spain is not a dictatorship today is because he died), there's still tons of Spaniards who revere him.

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