At what point does the lack of real choice translate into rendering our so-called democratic republic a complete sham? One could argue that Japan has been a democratic republic since shortly after the end of WWII, but that argument starts and stops with the right to vote, since they really have/had a one-party system, although a second party recently grabbed the reins of power, if only briefly. It seems that while Japan is struggling to achieve choice toward the end of establishing a true democratic republic, we are moving hastily in the opposite direction.