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To me, authoritarian regimes look much more plain, simple, and strightforward in their motivation, unlike civil societies with their tricky political maneuverin
by baybal2 6y ago
To me, authoritarian regimes look much more plain, simple, and strightforward in their motivation, unlike civil societies with their tricky political maneuvering. Xi's mind is an open book in comparison to deciphering a fuzzy collective thought ethos of any democratically appointed cabinet.
When I told my classmates in 2012 that China is going back to revert back into "redness," unless the remnants of pre-reform China would be decisively proactively stomped out, people laughed me out.
Now, almost 8 years later, those people call me out on facebook how in the world I saw it.
I did not change the explanation: the most ruthless, militant, and headstrong faction in the party cannot be expected just to give up, no matter how much political castration they suffer.
People to whom killing tens of millions is an acceptable price to stay in power, will not be scared of breaking some toothless legal regulations.
Getting more power is a raison d'etre for such people, they will never give up on seizing power peacefully for as long as they live.
- justicezyx 6y agoWhat do you mean by "redness"?
- baybal2 6y agoThis "redness" http://en.people.cn/mediafile/201206/12/F201206120859581971223700.jpg http://en.people.cn/mediafile/201206/12/F2012061208595819712... This "redness" https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/f66cb60b-d823-4d29-8b07-33bd70425e5f.jpg https://dynaimage.cdn.cnn.com/cnn/digital-images/org/f66cb60...
- boomboomsubban 6y agoSo how do you describe a hundred thousand people in a stadium saluting a flag? Or a squad of US soldiers tearing down a statue or posing with a corpse?
- kace91 6y ago>Xi's mind is an open book in comparison to deciphering a fuzzy collective thought ethos of any democratically appointed cabinet. You can't possibly think that xi is ruling by himself like a God. Dictatorships have just as much of a fickle, constantly changing hivemind as any other form of government. you might just have one ever running party, but look inside and you'll see a complex network of factions.
- free_rms 6y agoThere are 91 million people in the party, and more who want in. Getting party membership is a big part of getting ahead. (Edit: It's not a hivemind is what I'm saying here.) All of those people have relationships that roll up and down. Rules for rulers and all that -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rStL7niR7gs
- justicezyx 6y agoGive me a break... No one needs party membership to do anything in private sectors... Why the hell people still think about Chinese live like party farmed animals. For God's sake, get on YouTube search some Chinese speaking videos by normal people. You are so echchambered that I start pitying you...
- free_rms 6y agoI think you misunderstood me here, I was trying to emphasize how big and varied the party's interests are. People often frame it like a singleminded machine. I don't live there but I've heard a lot of people say that party membership is useful, not necessary mind you, for lots of business endeavors. There's a whole other conversation about the differences in representation between the two countries, and I think China's system has some points in it's favor as far as "does this government act on behalf of it's people", but I was just trying to phrase things in a way that would get through to the typical HN reader.
- justicezyx 6y ago
- free_rms 6y agoBut they're not reverting to "redness" in any way, shape or form. You seen the skyline in any of 50 different cities there? Did it look communist to you? It only looks plain, straightforward and simple to people who are themselves plain and simple.
- justicezyx 6y agoI bet you have little first hand experience in mainland China, am I right?