To me this looks like the continuation of Project Cybersyn [1] and is just applied cybernetics on a societal scale. To call it totalitarian or dismiss it as a s

To me this looks like the continuation of Project Cybersyn [1] and is just applied cybernetics on a societal scale. To call it totalitarian or dismiss it as a simple dystopian nightmare is very superficial. I am actually quite impressed at the guile of the Chinese state for going ahead with this. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Cybersyn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Cybersyn To the unknown person who criticized me ("people like you are what's wrong with the world") but later deleted his post: To see this from a mere political angle, is to miss the point entirely. You are deluding yourself if you think that similar cybernetic feedback loops are not currently in play in western democratic states. The difference is that in the west, these loops are driven by non-state actors and focus on cultivating consumerism (look at the Black Friday hordes), apathy and lack of critical thinking. By taking an active approach, the Chinese state could try to pre-empt these problems on one hand and aim at creating a different kind of citizen on the other.