What... are you really belittling democracy

That’s not what I said. I said there are more important things to increase the wellbeing of the citizens of a country than democracy. In other words, a country can use democracy as a tool to destroy itself.

Maybe. But I don't think you will find any of those things without strong democracy.

Counterpoint: China from Deng and onwards is an autocracy with rapidly improving material conditions

Its population will halve this century thanks to their autocratic policies so we’ll see how that unfolds

which things? care to be more specific?

Singapore says hi.

Singapore is a "managed democracy". The PAP plays dirty, but if they genuinely stopped delivering the goods, they would get voted out.