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Comment by boomboomsubban | Hacker News Reader

>Consequences of trying to raise term limits should be many and more severe

More severe then a foreign backed coup? I don't disagree that raising term limits is sketchy, but the punishment seems far more worthy of condemnation.

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The power of foreign governments wax and wane, a permanent president is eventually a dictator and has all the necessary local resources to stay put.

It is unfortunate for other countries that the precedents haven't been severe. I don't think Putin, Erdogan or Morales can reasonably regret not taking their standard ex-President package.

So democracy doesn't really mean much to you, people making the "wrong" choice need their betters to step in and correct that choice.

Democracy is important to me, and therefore republics that have limits to maintain it. If killing a leader who increases his power within a republic is a problem for you then you value a world where democracy for one generation can choose dictators for the next. That is a world that can't maintain democracy.

A foreign coup to overthrow a popularly elected president is the antithesis of democracy, even if you worry the person may be gathering too much power. It's the right of the governed to decide their government, and sacrificing democracy for this generation does not help democracy in future generations.

And this all ignores that it is ridiculous to claim this coup had anything to do with Morales bring president too long. We have no problems associating with open dictatorships.

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