When Czechoslovakia threatened to transition to democratic capitalism Leonid Brezhnev implemented what came to be known as the Brezhnev Doctrine; the USSR could violate the sovereignty of any country in which an effort was being made to replace Marxism-Leninism with capitalism. Beware the morally unassailable courtesy of ideology when they have the resources of a nation-state behind them.
Democracy is morally superior to the authoritarianism inherent in communism, however, we saw similar morally unassailable and shallow claims to history from the Bush Administration and their policy to bring to democracy to the Middle East through the violation of a nation's sovereignty with the force of arms. It is little different to Brezhnev's doctrine.
After Czechoslovakia the Soviet Union expended much foreign policy to ensure that the doctrine would not become a dictum as it would require their intervention all through South America. In the same way the Bush Administration has backed off their claims which would logically require the invasion of Pakistan amongst others.
Moral claims to forms of political organisation as absolutes, such as the end of history, are dangerous. Humanity is a technological species and political organisation has followed our increasing capabilities of technological innovation from tyranny to democracy, and might makes right to republicanism (constitutional liberalism).
I have no doubt humanity will develop forms of technology and political organisation that will make democracy seem like a quaint historical form of illiberalism and tyranny.
