The reality is that democracy is a system that has a very short lifespan, and this is because even if at some point a country and it citizens allowed a democracy to flourish, once an individual gains power, it is completely natural that individual will want to retain that power for themselves and others like him, so cheating the elections or at least to influence them on their favor is very common, and before you realize it the democratic process is still supposedly in place, but the democracy itself has died and only a small group of people control the country from that point on.
Yes, there is always a small group on the top manipulating and controlling the masses. It's a phenomenon which goes beyond ideologies, since leaders from every spectres adopt this stance once they reach power. And individuals who simply try to open the eyes of the masses to this fact are persecuted, defamed, isolated from society and mocked by the masses who they are trying to wake up. It's a lost battle after all. It's frustrating.
That is why it's important that each of us live our own lives, forgetting about collective causes which are doomed to failure. In history, some idealist people died for others in vain. Truth is that they could have lived their own lives pursuing happiness side by side with loyal individuals who really loved and cared for them. Instead, they decided to pursue unhappiness for those who couldn't care less for them.