You said, "If you are saying that there is no objective criteria for "democracy," I disagree."
How in the heck did you come up with that?
So what are the basic principles of democracy?
I know what I think, but I want to hear your ideas.
For the time being here is mine (as best I can express them in just a few words)...
Basic human rights. Countries who function on a basis of basic human rights, intelect, questioning (and obtaining) information, freedom to question and speak the results.
That has to be the foundation, and not just for the upper echelon people, but for the masses too.
Democracies cannot put nation over people, because the people are the nation.
When those principles are manifest in a society first, and then in that society's political system, the basic roots of democracy are laid.
After that, the next step is devising a fair way to pick the leaders.
One more principle that I would mention is rule of law that applies equally to everyone.
It is a complicated issue, but those should get us started...
Your turn.
Sun never talked about "human rights". He was kind of racist, or greater-Han-ist.