> On the other you have the de facto #1 world power

Wasn't always the case, and honestly it's hard to tell where China stands right now, and it seems like it's not slowing down... if you look at e.g. robotics or drones...

> which was founded on the principle of democracy some 200 years ago

Didn't it need a civil war to actually become a democracy? My understanding was that it was not exactly founded as a democracy. But maybe I'm being pedantic there.

> with strong safeguards put in place to prevent the exact thing that happened with the Weimar republic.

Genuinely interested! What are those safeguards and what do they prevent that happened with the Weimar republic?