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Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. If

Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. If he'd been patient about Hong Kong's transition and "one country two systems" he'd be most of the way to reeling in Taiwan by now, instead of prepping for war and cosying up to Putin. Then there's the Covid strategy. Zero Covid made perfect sense before vaccines were available and allowed most of China to carry on as normal through 2020. Sticking with that policy all the way through into late 2022 with no sign of an exit strategy was pure stupidity though. Then there's the breathtaking petulance of dropping all the Covid restrictions suddenly with absolutely no mitigation, as collective punishment to the whole population in retaliation to widespread protests. Xi really does not like to look like an idiot, but everyone there must now surely have suspicions that he may be one. Total control of the media and the Great Firewall have allowed the Party to manipulate public opinion pretty effectively, but I'm not entirely convinced support for the government could be maintained if Xi starts a war. Hopefully Xi feels the same way.

slaw 4y ago
Covid restrictions were dropped suddenly and nothing happened despite western media saying billions people will die. There was no time that zero covid strategy made any sense.
- sanitycheck 4y ago
  Western media didn't say billions of people would die, they said hospitals would be overflowing and unable to cope. Which is exactly what's happened, based on what I've heard from a couple of people who work in Chinese hospitals. Should we believe the official Chinese line on number of Covid deaths this year?
  - slaw 4y ago
    Hospitals were overflowing and nothing happened.
    - arroz 4y ago
      People died
      - slaw 4y ago
        Source?
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  Western media didn't say "billions of people would die", which would be a real straw man :) China only has 1.4 billion people anyways. China kept at zero COVID because they were concerned that a lot of elderly people would die, who weren't enthusiastic about Sinovac having grown up during the cultural revolution. But it turns out, they didn't have much to worry about.
thenaturalist 4y ago
I agree with your sentiment. Basically Stalin 2.0. Dumb, but aggressive.
netsharc 4y ago
I thought dropping the Covid restrictions was more of a "Oh shit, the people are really mad, the protests are growing, we better back down!" move, although if that's really the case, that's a rare surrender by the CCP, and AFAIK they don't like to look weak... I'm not an expert in Chinese politics, maybe I should check what the real experts are saying.
nortonham 4y ago
>Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. Who's everyone? Do you mean the political and pundit class of the US and the anglo world? China's economy continues to grow while the west is stagnating economically, culturally. The US has unfettered gun violence, a racist criminal justice system, an ever worsening homeless problem, opioid addiction, most people only one medical emergency away from not being able to afford their rent, awful education system, people living paycheck to paycheck, rising cost of living while real wages have been stagnant for decades........ China handled the COVID epidemic far better than the US did. Approval rating for Chinese gov't and US gov't don't even compare. And how the Chinese populace views its future vs how most westerners view theirs, much the same. >....have allowed the Party to manipulate public opinion pretty effectively uhhh, we might want to read up on the mass media in the US/West since we're talking about manipulating public opinion.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- sanitycheck 4y ago
  By everyone, I mean everyone. China is a huge part of the global economy (20% of US imports are from China), so China remaining stable and friendly would be good for people in China and for people outside China. It's not controversial, is it? I somewhat agree with your appraisal of the state of the US, based on what I hear & read. China has big problems internally too though - not least a massive looming demographic crisis. The absence of a free press, free speech and an independent judiciary are definite negatives. Corruption remains part of everyday life in the forms of bribery and nepotism - if you're seriously ill you'd better have connections to senior hospital staff or local government (or lots of money, but that kind of comes with the connections anyway). Mass media in the West is largely in the hands of private interests with their own agendas, it's not in lockstep with whoever is in power. Arguably the media controls the politicians, not the other way around. It's a totally different problem, it's mainly polarised and divided our populations which is pretty much the opposite of what Chinese state controlled media does.
igravious 4y ago
> Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. baseless rhetoric > If he'd been patient about Hong Kong's transition and "one country two systems" he'd be most of the way to reeling in Taiwan by now, instead of prepping for war and cosying up to Putin. The CPC were reacting in part to outside meddling and interference into the affairs of HK. > Sticking with that policy all the way through into late 2022 with no sign of an exit strategy was pure stupidity though. damned if you do > Then there's the breathtaking petulance of dropping all the Covid restrictions suddenly with absolutely no mitigation, as collective punishment to the whole population in retaliation to widespread protests. damned if you don't https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ deaths per 1 million: … 015 USA 3,451 024 UK 3,057 220 China 0,004 > Xi really does not like to look like an idiot, but everyone there must now surely have suspicions that he may be one. baseless rhetoric > Total control of the media and the Great Firewall have allowed the Party to manipulate public opinion pretty effectively, but I'm not entirely convinced support for the government could be maintained if Xi starts a war. Hopefully Xi feels the same way. because the mass media in the West is a bastion of diverse opinion & thriving political dissent and not at all a coterie of subservient drooling establishment-worshiping lapdogs

slaw 4y ago

Covid restrictions were dropped suddenly and nothing happened despite western media saying billions people will die. There was no time that zero covid strategy made any sense.

sanitycheck 4y ago
Western media didn't say billions of people would die, they said hospitals would be overflowing and unable to cope. Which is exactly what's happened, based on what I've heard from a couple of people who work in Chinese hospitals. Should we believe the official Chinese line on number of Covid deaths this year?
- slaw 4y ago
  Hospitals were overflowing and nothing happened.
  - arroz 4y ago
    People died
    - slaw 4y ago
      Source?
seanmcdirmid 4y ago
Western media didn't say "billions of people would die", which would be a real straw man :) China only has 1.4 billion people anyways. China kept at zero COVID because they were concerned that a lot of elderly people would die, who weren't enthusiastic about Sinovac having grown up during the cultural revolution. But it turns out, they didn't have much to worry about.

thenaturalist 4y ago

I agree with your sentiment. Basically Stalin 2.0. Dumb, but aggressive.

netsharc 4y ago

I thought dropping the Covid restrictions was more of a "Oh shit, the people are really mad, the protests are growing, we better back down!" move, although if that's really the case, that's a rare surrender by the CCP, and AFAIK they don't like to look weak... I'm not an expert in Chinese politics, maybe I should check what the real experts are saying.

nortonham 4y ago

>Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. Who's everyone? Do you mean the political and pundit class of the US and the anglo world? China's economy continues to grow while the west is stagnating economically, culturally. The US has unfettered gun violence, a racist criminal justice system, an ever worsening homeless problem, opioid addiction, most people only one medical emergency away from not being able to afford their rent, awful education system, people living paycheck to paycheck, rising cost of living while real wages have been stagnant for decades........ China handled the COVID epidemic far better than the US did. Approval rating for Chinese gov't and US gov't don't even compare. And how the Chinese populace views its future vs how most westerners view theirs, much the same. >....have allowed the Party to manipulate public opinion pretty effectively uhhh, we might want to read up on the mass media in the US/West since we're talking about manipulating public opinion.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
sanitycheck 4y ago
By everyone, I mean everyone. China is a huge part of the global economy (20% of US imports are from China), so China remaining stable and friendly would be good for people in China and for people outside China. It's not controversial, is it? I somewhat agree with your appraisal of the state of the US, based on what I hear & read. China has big problems internally too though - not least a massive looming demographic crisis. The absence of a free press, free speech and an independent judiciary are definite negatives. Corruption remains part of everyday life in the forms of bribery and nepotism - if you're seriously ill you'd better have connections to senior hospital staff or local government (or lots of money, but that kind of comes with the connections anyway). Mass media in the West is largely in the hands of private interests with their own agendas, it's not in lockstep with whoever is in power. Arguably the media controls the politicians, not the other way around. It's a totally different problem, it's mainly polarised and divided our populations which is pretty much the opposite of what Chinese state controlled media does.

igravious 4y ago

> Unfortunately for everyone, over the past few years it's become more clear that Xi is not as smart as the leader of a gigantic autocracy really needs to be. baseless rhetoric > If he'd been patient about Hong Kong's transition and "one country two systems" he'd be most of the way to reeling in Taiwan by now, instead of prepping for war and cosying up to Putin. The CPC were reacting in part to outside meddling and interference into the affairs of HK. > Sticking with that policy all the way through into late 2022 with no sign of an exit strategy was pure stupidity though. damned if you do > Then there's the breathtaking petulance of dropping all the Covid restrictions suddenly with absolutely no mitigation, as collective punishment to the whole population in retaliation to widespread protests. damned if you don't https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ deaths per 1 million: … 015 USA 3,451 024 UK 3,057 220 China 0,004 > Xi really does not like to look like an idiot, but everyone there must now surely have suspicions that he may be one. baseless rhetoric > Total control of the media and the Great Firewall have allowed the Party to manipulate public opinion pretty effectively, but I'm not entirely convinced support for the government could be maintained if Xi starts a war. Hopefully Xi feels the same way. because the mass media in the West is a bastion of diverse opinion & thriving political dissent and not at all a coterie of subservient drooling establishment-worshiping lapdogs