[graemep]

> in a dictatorship the interests of the country and the interests of those at the top are not aligned.

I wish that was a problem only in dictatorships.

> long term a disastrous decision for the country, short term it pays out for the current leaders if their cover up

Dictators will remain in charge long term. To that extent their interests are better aligned with those of the country. I decision that will be bad in the medium term can be quite good for the ruling party in a democracy if they lose the next election and can persuade the electorate to blame whoever is in charge at the time.

[RandomLensman]

No, not how dictatorships work. They usually work by keeping the supporting 2nd layer below the dictor happy and under control, which has nothing to do with country as such.

Coincidentally, things could align, but they often don't.

[natmaka]

Isn't Chinese history the elephant in the room here?

IMHO most Chinese citizens remember that whenever they fight each other (civil war...) disasters happen, and therefore the most important mission of the government is to squash any growing quarrel. Everything else is ancillary.

[RandomLensman]

No, why would it? A mix of local ineptitude and revisionist history isn't really saying anything about the counterfactual. Why is China not as rich as the West if it has had the better governance for a long time?

[secondcoming]

> Why is China not as rich as the West

I find this hard to believe

[RandomLensman]

Look at GDP per capita, very simple. Middle-income country - they might even get stuck in that trap.

[natmaka]

I don't think nor wrote that it "had the better governance", and merely proposed an explanation for what we know (acts of the governments, reaction of most citizens).