Elections in themselves are no guarantee of achieving a genuine democracy. But they're a start... ;-)

I think our present elections in the USA, Canada, and the UK are largely a sham, a charade, and the reason I think that is that no matter which party gets elected you end up with substantially the same policies being enacted once they're in office. (there are trivial differences...but only trivial ones, in my opinion)

I think that's happening because all the (larger) parties have ended up being bought out by the financial elite, therefore they serve that financial elite, not the public who elects them.

And there's absolutely nothing the general public can do about it as things presently stand, because if all the major political parties tacitly serve the same entrenched special interests, then your vote is rendered meaningless.

Nevertheless....it's still a bit better than being ruled by a single autocratic dictator-for-life such as Mr Gadhaffi. ;-) Just thought I'd better mention that before anyone goes off the deep end and assumes I am saying something I'm not.