The most striking thing about China to me, at a macro level, is how affective the central government has been in maintaining its power and embracing capitalism. Unlike in the West, the government is in fact highly competent.
The prevailing belief about democracy is that it’s inevitable. Autocracy would eventual give way to power-to-the-people, if only the guard’s grip on power waned. Russia was our Cold War enemy. And the line sold to American’s proved true. Russia imploded. But China is different from Russia. It’s economy is capitalistic. It’s politics in the hands of the smartest people Beijing can recruit.
From building massive infrastructure projects ahead of schedule, to reconfiguring the nearby park overnight, I am awed at China’s ability to execute, knowing that it’s based on the very top-down approach vilified in the West.
Comments