The thing about democracy is that it's ultimately a cultural matter. The deep-seated agrarian, dare I say 'peasant', mentality of the Russian and Chinese peoples leads them to prefer remote, autocratic governments. Government in which they do not have to participate while continuing to live their lives as they always have.

On the other hand, governing Americans or British folk is like herding cats - we're individualistic, independent-minded and can be no end stubborn when it suits us. Autocracy, corporatism and dictatorship don't suit us. Even in the Middle Ages, English Kings were far less autocratic than their French cousins - they tried, but ran full-tilt into the bloody-mindedness of their Saxon and Viking 'subjects' and had to compromise. Democracy isd less then perfect in that situation, but it's the least worst option.

The best way to make it work, as I've said before, is to supply a liberal education as well as a technical one.