I hope you do not think I am 'mainstream'. Democracy is the governent of the people to the people and for the people that does what some special group of people wants. And this is what happens in all country. Senators, and presidents are mere representatives of people with big, very big Bank Accounts. If they try to go agaist they receive an impeachment or are killed.
People vote in what the well done propaganda tells then to choose.
And canditates are chosen with the economical support of big ecconomical groups. So in reallity democracy only exists among the Big Groups that dont fight and respect one each other cause they are all powerfull and one is afraid of the other. And with caos sufferings and poorness. By the way, when democracy appeared in Greece it was only for maybe 300 persons. The rest were soldiers, and slaves that just obeyed orders.