I lived in both the US as a citizen and china as well.

Some people are naturally born slaves and do prefer living in a society where their lives are completely controlled by a strong arm dictator...

Hello, Hitler, how is the weather in Hell?

No, some people know what they are talking about. You, unfortunately, don't because you haven't lived in China.

Have you? Honestly, pompous "democracies" aren't fundamentally different to the rest of the world, when you start actually experiencing the day to day living.

There are lots of "dictatorships" where living is better then in lots of other "democracies", but this is not something you'll figure out from your internet feed, you really have to actually travel.

Exactly. The answer is not so clear cut black and white. Centralized governments tend to be more efficient but lack the checks and balances of a democracy. Singapore, for example, is a good showcase for centralized government.