Insofar as we, the West, were forced to identify with the aggressor to defeat
the Nazi's and Japs, we lost our sense of democracy.  But, events since the
late 1950's,
namely the rise of several social movements, embodying spontaneous democracy,
and the fall of both the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall (the reunification
of Germany, and the possible unification of Europe) indicate that democracy
is alive and well.
The ongoing conflict between the current of modernity and the resistances
from conservatives should not lead us to believe that right wing dictators
predominate. But,
it would auger well in our favor, that of democracy, if our military leaders
would find a way to halt the rise of private armies!!!

Fred W.