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Taiwan was super authoritarian in recent memory [1], so it's understandable that someone would think it's still true (of course, it's not). Maybe the confusion

Taiwan was super authoritarian in recent memory [1], so it's understandable that someone would think it's still true (of course, it's not). Maybe the confusion is because some of their disease mitigation strategies were authoritarian, but that's pretty common in war/disaster scenarios. Every country turns authoritarian when they need people to shelter in place or need to force factories to retool to build war equipment or medical essentials. [1] In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the ROC transitioned from a one-party military dictatorship to a multi-party democracy with a semi-presidential system.

TeMPOraL 7y ago
> Every country turns authoritarian when they need people to shelter in place or need to force factories to retool to build war equipment or medical essentials. Those who survive this pandemic will look back and wish it was true. Right now, neither the US nor the EU are authoritarian enough. There should have been lockdowns in place a week ago, actually enforced by the military. I'm surprised to find myself believing this, but at this point I think that, were a few of the mass gatherings in defiance of social distancing met with batons, and were one of two cases of breaking quarantine met with a bullet, the madness would stop and countries in the West would have a much better chance of containing the virus.
- pstuart 7y ago
  They want to suspend habeas corpus, and with an administration that is more than happy to lock up people it doesn't like that is not the right path. If there were competent administrators at the helm, it would make more sense.