http://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/2048657/letters-editor-november-23-2016

Is democracy all it's cracked up to be?

I refer to Shirley Lee’s letter (“Trump, Brexit raise doubts on voting system”, November 18).

Ms Lee is seemingly confused when she states that “virtually everyone had been predicting a win for Hillary ­Clinton”.

Had she spoken to Donald Trump supporters, they most ­assuredly were not “taken by ­surprise”. The same can be said of the 52 per cent of Britons who voted for Brexit in the EU ­referendum.

The entire foundation of democracy is that we elect a ­person the people vote for (albeit Clinton won the popular vote but was not elected, that is a flaw of the American system).

There is no requirement for previous experience, no requirement for suitability and no requirement to implement the policy ideals that may get a ­person elected.

The shocked reaction to Trump and Brexit is simply ­because Ms Lee and millions of others are on the losing side – too bad, that’s democracy.

Her argument for Hong Kong is pointless, we are not a ­democracy and based upon her own argument, perhaps democracy isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Mark Peaker, The Peak