Comment Re: Benign dictatorship (Score 1) 205
I know that you're raised in the American educational system where Republic is erroneously equated with a representative democracy, but please educate yourself a bit out of that little box that they put you in. Personally, I live in a constitutional monarchy, and all the stuff you're saying about a 'Republic' holds for my country. My country has a king, but he's been neutered. I share this particular form of government with the UK, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Spain, among others. These all are representative democracies, and they protect minority interest, rights and groups through a strong parliamentary tradition. Please explain how these countries are Republics, and the Republic of China is not.
So your president is right, you live in a democracy. A representative democracy with an elected head of state.