The big difference between France and the USA is that the French people usually either passively or actively support them and do not see any problem with what they are doing and would much rather look at the evil Americans. It's not even a political issue, it's almost seen as a divine right.
That's literally one of the main reason macron has been popular: his wannabe bonapartist "great France" mindset (and even those who dislike him don't usually criticize him on that front) that involves crushing the ennemies of France, and a whole lot of illusions of grandeur.
It's also a country where the literal neonazi FN still gets 40% of the votes, but people still laugh about dumb Americans because they voted for trump. Keep in mind, the only reason we don't see more french droning in Africa is because they lack the ability to do so.
And I'm not American or French, but I've had a lot of first hand experience with the damage France is causing in Africa and I'm very familiar with French culture. Yet I'm almost always amazed by the extent of French grandstanding online.
With drone strikes and disappearings?! Wow! Do you have an example?
The USA, because, at least in principle, every individual has some manner of influence over his own government.
Because I do not live in the West but in one of the great majority of countries with a corrupt, abusive government. The democratic governments of the West are the exception, not the rule.
Well, if I may nitpick, it's a federal republic rather than a democracy...
More to the point though, there was this study at Princeton U about the correlation between US government policy and popular opinion on a variety of subjects which found that public opinion correlates very poorly with government policy / legislation passed, but opinions among the very-rich correlate well. Can't remember the exact reference right now.
> and (mostly) obeys laws.
Oh, definitely not. It can well be argued that there is constant mass violation of the constitution. And regardless of this, the US is such a notorious outlaw on the international level that not only does it refuse to accept jurisdiction of the international criminal court, but has in fact threatened action against court staff if the court hears any case against it:
https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/15/us-threatens-internation...
Germany is both a federal republic and a democracy and I would argue the the USA are too. Both countries ultimatively derive their legislation from the general populace and are representative democracies.
I've seen the claim you made several times, but every time I try to look it up I fail to understand it.
What is your reason to think a federal republic would exclude democracy?
Corporations have no defect - They're pure tyrannies."
- Noam Chomsky
And I did live under communism, with absolutely zero corporations. Then I knew tyranny every day. And shortages.
Did Noam Chomsky live under communism by any chance?
