> I agree with you but I wonder if totalitarian capitalism is something that can last more than a few years. China is so far a counterpoint. And the terrifyin

> I agree with you but I wonder if totalitarian capitalism is something that can last more than a few years. China is so far a counterpoint. And the terrifying thing is that this is not at all a settled question. If you throw enough technology at surveillance and social control, as the Chinese do, the state might be able to become an actual Big Brother state with pervasive control over the daily life of its citizens. The Chinese government is working _hard_ on this. The Chinese undoing will probably come from more mundane reasons, such as Xi becoming a dictator and the usual decline that comes from these types of governments. > Surely someone who has gotten rich won't want to tolerate the state's complete control and will find ways around it. I suspect it's not sustainable. Jack Ma...