[Mavvie]

The actual quote:

> There's a level of admiration I actually have for China. Their basic dictatorship is actually allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.

I don't think that's wrong? Although it is certainly in bad taste for a prime minister.

[vosper]

> There's a level of admiration I actually have for China. Their basic dictatorship is actually allowing them to turn their economy around on a dime.

It's wrong, too - the Chinese economy is in trouble, and has been since Covid. Xi has accumulated more autocratic power, but if he's able to use it to "turn their economy around on a dime" then he's not doing so.

[Mavvie]

I don't disagree, but the quote is from 10 years ago. Long before COVID.

[lambdasquirrel]

On the contrary, I’m not sure that those big government interventions have often worked out. There may have been a grain of truth to what the libertarians have been saying all along. What have we gotten for our interventions? Wildly bloated asset prices? A younger generation that can’t afford a home?

[cloverich]

nit: You don't have to be a libertarian to be opposed to government interfering with market dynamics, when its not for explicit safety (i.e. FDA, EPA, etc).

[nonethewiser]

Of course that’s bad. You cant justify dictatorships with good intentions.

[rapind]

I missed the part where he said the Chinese did good at X therefore dictatorship’s must be amazeballs!

Leave room for nuance and discussion.

[Micrococonut]

What about with good outcomes?

[mistrial9]

"The King is happy on his Throne, and the people are pleased" obviously winning in battle is a good outcome, since your enemies are now dead or slaved.

"Rome demands victory from her Generals" .. and those who tried and failed, were publicly killed. As they still do in China actually.

we can do better than this

[ffhhttt]

I’m not sure Romans really did that.

[FreshStart]

What about a poster of good outcomes in front of a dystopia?

[stronglikedan]

If some of those ever manifest themselves, I may reconsider.