By Paul Weiser
There exist in today's world two revenant powers: the old Reds, Russia and mainland China. Their differing approaches to commercial civilization illuminate both potential dangers and potential weaknesses America must carefully consider.
Communist China (though "Communist" today is as misleading as "People's Republic") instituted its present praxis of government even before the the Soviet Union's collapse - which caused only hardening and course correction. This praxis is simple but subtle: the ruling class bribes the people with economic liberty to preserve its political autocracy. This leads to three fundamental problems: first, the elite sees economic success all around but - having only power, not legitimacy or commercial acumen - participates in the only way possible, by pandemic official corruption. Second, an economic downturn jeopardizes the regime - and the regime only permits (it does not control) the economy's success. Finally, the military - the ultimate reservoir of force - participates in both the corruption and the economic success... but only in militaristic ways that ultimately threaten the political elite. China is strong, but fragile.
Russia, its old rationalization for autocracy shattered with the Soviet Union, has achieved a less simple and far less successful praxis of government: the regime bribes only the elites, letting the mass of the people suffer crime, corruption, and economic stagnation. The Russian armed forces are moribund, potentially disloyal, starved but still equipped with powerful weaponry they're constantly tempted to sell off the back dock for food. Russia is lumpish, surly and depressed - powerful but not strong.
In both cases the ultimate problem is corruption: downward bribery from government, coupled with upward bribes demanded from the citizens. The difference is that while China's citizens get something for their tribute, Russia's get nothing. Representative democracy must await the prior establishment of honest government - that is, rule of law, the final antithesis of corruption.
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