While I agree with the point about suppressing dissent being a vulnerability because it suppresses information, I don't think this is something democracies are

While I agree with the point about suppressing dissent being a vulnerability because it suppresses information, I don't think this is something democracies are so great at. The UK's response to mad cow disease, for example, does not look much better, if as good. The flupandemic in 1918 was not handled appreciably better in the democracies than it was in the empires. People in authority reacting too slowly to an epidemic, is not unique to authoritarian states.