[ahartmetz]

Don't ignore the different philosophical foundation of Asian societies. Confucianism is quite different from the Western line of tradition starting from the Greeks. Confucianism emphasizes community and obedience more, which is more compatible with mass surveillance.

[woodandsteel]

What Xi is doing is not Confucianism. Confucianism had an elaborate set of rules that everyone, from the top down, was required to follow. Xi is basically making up the rules as he goes along.

[ahartmetz]

We're also not exactly following Socrates and Locke here, but the balance of values we have today is influenced by them.