[tchaffee]

You seem to agree with me that a dictatorship can last longer in a trade war? Your gripe seems to be with what a horrible place China is. That might be true. Having lived there and done business there I think it's more nuanced than you're making it out to be. But let's say it really is that bad. Does that win a trade war before the next US elections in 2 years when US consumers might already be frustrated with higher prices?

[nine_k]

Dictatorships are not very efficient economically, it seems.

China has become an industrial powerhouse when some modicum of economic liberty was admitted by Deng Xiaoping. Dictatorship stifles internal economic competition, and makes the economy less and less efficient.

If Mao times look too drastic a comparison, you can compare to the USSR, which was also, well, nuanced, and had leaders stat stayed at power for decades. How well did it fare against the US?

[tchaffee]

China isn't the USSR. China is increasingly capitalist, has had years of excellent economic growth, and has a quickly growing middle class. So my question remains: who gets unelected first when the middle class suffers? I don't think it's the dictator.

[nine_k]

With more heavy-handed government involvement, I'd suppose that China is decreasingly liberal-capitalist and increasingly state/crony-capitalist. Government-controlled huge semi-monopolies are known for comparatively lower efficiency.

[tchaffee]

Then what's confusing is why China's economy grew at something like 10% for many years. When was the last time the US saw that kind of growth? Why aren't corporations democracies? I'm not convinced you have a strong persuasive case, but data is always welcome.

[theandrewbailey]

Taxes and unemployment have gone down, and wages are starting to go up. I wonder if anyone would get angry enough over trade war costs at the end of the day.

[tchaffee]

Soy farmers perhaps?

[bluGill]

They are mad, but Trump has successfully spun to them the idea that they are an unfortunate victim of the situation and things will be better for everyone in the long run if we take care of this.

Well successful to the republicans and most of the independents. This is politics: it should be assumed that Democrat will oppose anything Trump does no matter how good it is - just like republicans opposed everything Obama did.

[hummingurban]

> You seem to agree with me that a dictatorship can last longer in a trade war?

No. You are connecting two separate ideas to say that I agree with you. I did not agree. I don't know who will last longer in the trade war. I do know that throughout history, the US has witnessed dictators come and go for the most part.

> Your gripe seems to be with what a horrible place China is.

No. Again, you are trying to twist my words into a "China sucks". Nowhere did I make such claim, I simply highlighted structural problems within China that suggests fragility of the Party vs the anti-fragile nature of US democracy. I used Trump as a good example of how the system is able to flush the turd, not the turd flushing the system. Please don't try to suggest that I'm comparing China to a toilet, I think it's citizens realize the full depth of the country they live in but out of fear cannot speak out in a manner that contradicts the governments view.

> That might be true. Having lived there and done business there I think it's more nuanced than you're making it out to be.

again this isn't the case of "china sucks" and im not saying you can't have a good time or meet good people in China which you've certainly claimed in your anecdote. It certainly is a surprise to me as I live in a highly concentrated neighborhood of Mainland Chinese folks and I have never ever heard them talk positively as a good place to do business.

> But let's say it really is that bad. Does that win a trade war before the next US elections in 2 years when US consumers might already be frustrated with higher prices?

Again, you are trying to join separate ideas that "China could be bad", "trade war", "consumer price index in 2 years" supports your main argument which is "China cannot suck because it will win the trade war".

Not sure what your issue here is. My guess is as good as yours about the future. I just tried my best to present my opinion, which cannot be taken as the truth and neither can yours. Nothing is solved. Just two HN'ers slugging it out.