USSR was arguably more democratic under Lenin (however it's hard to say that given how they became the leaders) than some parts here but Stalin ruined it.

The problem for the Bolsheviks that required a revolution was that systems designed by the rich are designed to keep them rich.

A parallel today would be the US. Student debt relief? Courts strike it down. Massive bailouts for the rich? It's their right. Running as a communist in the US, what media is going to be behind you?