The major cause of modern crisis are the individual choices people have been making along history's course. Democracy allows people to choose their leaders, so if these leaders aren't performing as desired, why are people still voting and supporting them?
I'm not discounting the power of an individual to defy the odds and achieve great success. But it would be unfair to blame them for failing. The hindrances and obstacles toward success are insurmountable, and these are usually systematic and structural. Rather than putting all the blame to the individual, it's the leaders, the state, institutions, the socio-economic structure, and so on should that should be held accountable.
In the first place, are the individuals actually given a choice? Or is the democratic process merely giving them evil and lesser evil as options?