> 51% shitting on the 49%

... is a big improvement on 1% shitting on the 99%. 

> Tyranny of the majority

... is not great, but it's much better than tyranny of the minority.

Anyway, those who've lived in China (eg me, 2 years near Shanghai) know that majority-rules elections are not the definition of democracy. The CCP use majority-rules elections. That doesn't make China democratic.

The real differences between democracy and autocracy are more subtle. They're found in things like freedom of expression and association for citizens. Media freedoms for publishers and telecoms services. Due process under the law, which applies even to people in the highest levels of governance. A permeable border, so people can vote with their feet, rather than being effectively prisoners of the state.

A society could lack officials elected by majority vote, but if it had all those, it would be democratic. 

 China and commies are one thing but even in a monarchy the king may sleep from time to time, but the bureaucracy in a democracy never does