I agree. It's also worth noting on this note that of the systems that proceeded democracy, there also was not uniformity. There were many times and places wher

I agree. It's also worth noting on this note that of the systems that proceeded democracy, there also was not uniformity. There were many times and places where the "king" was relatively weak, and relied on nobles for support. There were times and places where the authoritarian that mattered to an individual wasn't something like a centralized government, but rather more of a clan leader (and so someone he/she would know personally). It is extremely common in human history that people were citizens of a city-state rather than a larger nation or empire. So even if one claims that the nation-state-based-liberal-democracy is on its way out, it's not like there's only one thing that could replace it.