> A decapitation, of a head from a body that isn't a very big fan of that head.
What's the argument behind this? Yes, there are questions about the quality of polling data you can extract from the Chinese public, but the polls that do exist seem to show broad and wholehearted support and trust in the state.
I can see why: they addressed the core 'are you better off than your father was at this phase in his life' question for the vast majority of their population.
There's a real chance this backfires: you didn't throw off the hated tyrant, you assassinated a respected symbol of progress and prestige.
Maybe China's relatively modest global ambitions come from a conscious attempt to avoid a direct replay of the Cold War. From an idealistic perspective, one obvious lesson was that you can't reliably export philosophy; Soviet satellite states and American-propped-up democracies both became money pits and fell apart. So why not stick to things like Belt and Road, which provide you economic opportunity and soft power on a budget?
What's the argument behind this? Yes, there are questions about the quality of polling data you can extract from the Chinese public, but the polls that do exist seem to show broad and wholehearted support and trust in the state.
I can see why: they addressed the core 'are you better off than your father was at this phase in his life' question for the vast majority of their population.
There's a real chance this backfires: you didn't throw off the hated tyrant, you assassinated a respected symbol of progress and prestige.
Maybe China's relatively modest global ambitions come from a conscious attempt to avoid a direct replay of the Cold War. From an idealistic perspective, one obvious lesson was that you can't reliably export philosophy; Soviet satellite states and American-propped-up democracies both became money pits and fell apart. So why not stick to things like Belt and Road, which provide you economic opportunity and soft power on a budget?