“No truly sophisticated proponent of repression would be stupid enough to shatter the façade of democratic institutions.”

Hear, hear, like maybe eavesdropping on the population for their own good without benefit of having to follow the law?

And the facade, as obviously ignominious as it is, continues to fool the majority.

The democratic process is used to the advantage of the rich by legislators, so it would be very stupid to break that institution. This is why our Republic is called a democracy.

well done Joe you hit the nail on the head

As a generalized catch-all — a very accurate observation. Patrons of the statist theocracy infesting this land would not speak ill concerning their most powerful tools or god/government. A repression by applied Stockholm Syndrome techniques also explains the situation well.

The primary facade being that the US is a democracy.  The game has been rigged for a long time now.  Public education is the training ground for socialism, in which American History is now optional.  Then the students are conditioned in socialist rhetoric, ignoring the very premise of American independence.  We now learn that the election process is completely fixed and biased.  The Justice Department, FBI, CIA are all tools of the Left with the media on contract and delivering the daily propaganda necessary to delude millions into redefining themselves, to deny themselves and adopt a narrative of excuses and blame.  It is just another form of servitude, self-imposed.