[SkyMarshal]

> The Chinese people have way more right to consider what sort of government is legitimate

The Chinese people have no right whatsoever to consider what sort of government is legitimate. The CCP deliberately, systematically deprives of them of exactly that right. Hence the total censorship of thought and expression and the repression of any group that might remotely offer an alternative to the CCP, even non-political religions.

The CCP is like the Model T of political parties - "You can have any government you want, as long as it's the CCP."

[hungryhobo]

i disagree, there's absolute nothing preventing an ordinary Chinese from taking a exam and become someone that actually has influence over domestic policies. Elections aren't the only ways a legitimate government can be formed.

[sk0g]

Democracy means you can alter the future direction of your country by simply voting, which took me 15 minutes.

Don't think joining a party with clear views and goals would let you have any significant effect on its trajectory without decades and lots of luck.

[hungryhobo]

i dont think thats a strength as you make it out to be

[sk0g]

The world has only gone downhill ever since medieval, centralised power structures disintegrated right? Are you following what you preach, and living in a non-democratic country?

[SkyMarshal]

You wouldn't be able to make any real policy changes unless you made it all the way up into to the 25-member Politburu (or maybe even its 7-member Standing Committee) [1]. All the other ~90 million CCP members are tasked with implementing the policies made there.

You might be able to become a social policy research professor or something, or where you study Communist/Marxist/Leninist/Maoist/Jinpingist/etc thought and try to develop new applications of it to the modern world. But you won't get to change anything from the Politburu, and could lose your career or worse if you try.

[1]:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politburo_of_the_Chinese_Commu...

[FooBarWidget]

Correct that you have to climb up. But isn't it fine that the Chinese have a different philosophy on governance? They don't want just anyone to be able to make nationwide changes on a whim. They want leaders to prove themselves first by working for 30 years. This is meritocracy. They see the possibility of someone like Trump getting elected, as a huge risk. I think we should allow earth to have diversity in governance systems.