Xi s Dictatorship Threatens the Chinese State – WSJ

To prevail in 2022, Mr. Xi has turned himself into a dictator. Instead of allowing the party to tell him what policies to adopt, he dictates the policies he wants it to follow. State media is now broadcasting a stunning scene in which Mr. Xi leads the Standing Committee of the Politburo in slavishly repeating after him an oath of loyalty to the party and to him personally. This must be a humiliating experience, and it is liable to turn against Mr. Xi even those who had previously accepted him.

In other words, he has turned them into his own yes-men, abolishing the legacy of Deng s consensual rule. With Mr. Xi there is little room for checks and balances. He will find it difficult to adjust his policies to a changing reality, because he rules by intimidation. His underlings are afraid to tell him how reality has changed for fear of triggering his anger. This dynamic endangers the future of China s one-party state.

via www.wsj.com

George Soros isn’t much of a mystery. He opposes dictatorship but seems to have hope for non-Leninist socialist and dominant parties. He does not seem to credit the plausible view that socialism always leads to dictatorship, sooner or later. And dictatorship can be extremely destructive. But I agree that China seems to be going this way.

Perhaps we should be somewhat relieved as this dictatorship will be too flawed to take over the world. The appeal of the social credit system Xi has endorsed (and with the help of many US companies) is troubling, however.