The so called “communists” of Russia were in fact not in favour of a democratic system. The Russian revolution was initiated by a small group who wanted a democratic system based on a “commune”. They were ultimately in military conflict with the people who later ruled Russia. Lenin and later Stalin were primarily interested in taking over the role of the aristocracy. Just as the French revolution was started by people who sought to get a “fair” form of government, they were fairly rapidly replaced by a group whose sole purpose was their own power and wealth. The perception depends more on how you want to define Democracy. The Greeks never practiced it even though we have been told repeatedly that they invented it. I have seen genuine democracy practised, but only in a community that was little advanced from the hunter-gatherer stage. Everyone could have a say, but the elders were more likely to have influence because they had more experience of life. A fundamental difference between them and the “civilised” people is that they shared – we try to grab the lot.