Democracy as a Shield: Examining Legitimacy in US, Israel, and Iran

Democracy is often put forward to show moral legitimacy in war, whereas Iran's regime rests on various political, religious, and historical foundations. However, democracy itself is not the enemy; its misuse is the main problem.For decades, Western political discourse has linked legitimacy solely to elections—a count of votes on a specific day, certified by institutions operating within systems driven by vast economic power. The result is alarming: legitimacy has become merely procedural rather than moral.In the United States, democracy operates within a political economy deeply influenced by corporate investment, lobbyist structures, and media ownership concentrated in the hands of a...