Peas in a Pod
Peas in a Pod
… and just another way that DJT and GOP have a strong resemblance to XJP and CCP -
This below is from Jude Blanchette at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the non-partisan and thoughtful advisor on American foreign policy. At China Books Review he reviews two China books, both of which are due their own accolades. But this is Blanchette on Xi. Go ahead and do the substitution – replace the name Xi with Trump, when you read Party think of GOP, and think of US instead of China -
Unlike his predecessors, who often adopted more cautious or internally-focused approaches, Xi has mobilized far greater resources and directed the full machinery of the Party toward strategic ambitions on the world stage. His methods — which blend Leninist control with modern economic, technological and military prowess — represent a more aggressive and concentrated effort to reclaim China’s historical stature, with the long-term goal of challenging the current global power balance.
That is the goal. Yet it is becoming more evident by the day that to achieve this objective, Xi is corrupting the machinery of effective governance, like Stalin and Mao did before him. He has replaced pragmatism with paranoia, merit with loyalty, and debate with blind obedience. Governing institutions, that once seemed to be serving the nation as a whole, now serve one man’s unrelenting pursuit of power for the Party that he leads. Bureaucratic professionalism is giving way to fear-driven stagnation, as officials scramble to stay in favor, not to solve governance challenges. The promise of a prosperous, harmonious society has been bartered for the promise of stability, security and “national greatness.” Yet the price of pursuing these goals — paid in the currency of repression — continues to rise. The question is not just whether Xi will achieve his aims, but what will be left of China if he does.
What’s that line about “if it looks like a duck and walks like a duck”? Narcissistic authoritarians think alike.