Today the Portuguese newspapers have reported a Russian demonstration against Putin.
Accordingly to it, the people would like to "get divorced from Putin" (on an obvious reference to his divorce from his wife).
The thing is none of us likes authoritarian governments, and none of us expects to be kept from speaking our minds on any part of our lives when we vote, (including our political opinions).
I've already written here that I don't think Russia is much of a democracy so it comes with no surprise to see that the Russian people is getting fed up with it and are now demanding the political prisoners' release.
Obviously Putin is not alone on his firm purpose to force his will on his people, Erdogan is another one who is not willing to accept the meaning of democracy.
You could say Russia is not a democracy as we know it. You would be right, there is no such thing as a sort of democracy, either you are one or you aren't, and just because a country is now more open to the west it doesn't make it a democracy, especially if on its core things remained as before.
Neither giving the right to vote to the people will be the only definition of what democracy is.
For democracy is about freedom.
Yes, freedom to choose who will represent us in parliament.
But also freedom to speak our own minds about every aspect of our society without having to be constantly looking over our shoulders for fear of being arrested or killed because of it.
Represent us well and we will love you for it.
That love will lighten the burden of our duties (for a democratic state is not all about rights).
However if you don't represent us at all we'll reserve ourselves the right to fight you for it.
And that's what men like Erdogan and Putin have chosen to close their eyes to.
The sad thing is that there will be always people like them reaching a powerful position.
The bright side is that there will always be someone amongst us to fight them back.
Welcome to the democracy planet.
