Well, being lap dogs is a problem for all small countries. 
To some extent they have to, either that or huddle together to form a union of some sort that can pull its own weight, for example EU, for example ASEAN.
Democracy is not about the power to vote. It's about distrusting the rulers.
This sentiment creates fracture within a country, separating people into two classes bitterly against each other.
The Obamacare was cancelled because those who voted for Trump didn't trust the other party.
Partisanship is blinding. This defeats the purpose of democracy where every citizen is supposed to vote in at least their own good.
And that's the beauty of democracy. The leaders are always in check.
This requires the leader to be honest, at least be forced to be honest. With a leader that can lie without regard, few checks and balances would still work.
Democracy is a political system with a feedback loop.
If only the feedback loop is connected somewhere.
"Hell is other people" (Sartre). When the US interfered radically, for the benefit of China, in the "internal process" of Japan, by throwing a bomb in their heads, yay! Now that you invited this monster to your turf, dang!
Two problems:
1) It was Kuomingtang's time, and I am not sure how they feel about US intervening. If Taiwan's current behavior is anything to go by, they likely don't mind it.
2) It was at total war as part of World War II, so different rules apply.
At the same time, it will be interesting to watch because if China reduces censorship on the Internet, there will surely be people trying to spread Westernism inside.
I'm speaking from experience, lots of idiotic ideas from the West are finding their way into Poland, from assorted SJWism to holocaust denial. I wasn't used to seeing it before 2010.
My main hope these days is that Westerners will finally hit the wall and find it impossible to pretend they really believe what they preach, at least some of them.
The censorship is ineffective at best if you have the know-how. There is actually little incentive for CCP to patch it, since it forms a nice knowledge barrier to information - highly educated people are allowed free information since they are more likely to talk than rebel, and less educated people are a lot less likely to be riled up and riot.
As of Westernism and SJWism, CCP is listening in and implementing what they think are good ideas, for example non-political charitable NGO's, for example feminism.
I have the feeling that US lacked a sense of real danger due to its geography. To the north there is a solid ally, to the south there is nobody that has a military that can actually do anything to it, and to the east and west there are vast oceans blocking access. On the other hand within the Old World EU and Russia share a border, Russia and China also share a border, making things a lot more delicate to deal with since opposing ground forces can just roll over and fight.