I mean, Temu, Shein, and gacha games suck, there’s no doubt about that. Could China be doing a lot more to reign them in? Absolutely. But I’d argue that even if we’re just focusing on companies making a profit, a Chinese century IS better than the current state of affairs.
For one, as crappy as those companies are, they’re not a monopoly and aren’t likely to become monopolies anytime soon because China has an anti-monopoly law.
Secondly, Elon Musk has threatened to coup Bolivia (and “whoever we want! Deal with it!”) over lithium, and while he is just one example, many western companies have couped or otherwise coerced/destabilised other countries to protect their profitability, and they’re continuing to get away with it scot-free. Coca Cola’s death squads in Colombia is another example that comes to mind. None of China’s companies, as far as I know, have couped or coerced/destablised a country for business interests. I’d say that alone makes for a more peaceful 100 years.
Thirdly, as @SmokinStalin@hexbear.net mentioned, Chinese billionaires have been executed for doing things that go against the public good, whereas billionaires get total impunity in the west, regardless of how much their actions harm the general population. The billionaire class is also accountable to the government, rather than the government being influenced by wealthy donors like we have in much of the west (and other neoliberal countries).
Of course, China can always do better. But I’d be hard-pressed to find how things can get worse (or even make no improvement) under a Chinese century compared to a continuation of what we currently have.
I mean, Temu, Shein, and gacha games suck, there’s no doubt about that. Could China be doing a lot more to reign them in? Absolutely. But I’d argue that even if we’re just focusing on companies making a profit, a Chinese century IS better than the current state of affairs.
For one, as crappy as those companies are, they’re not a monopoly and aren’t likely to become monopolies anytime soon because China has an anti-monopoly law.
Secondly, Elon Musk has threatened to coup Bolivia (and “whoever we want! Deal with it!”) over lithium, and while he is just one example, many western companies have couped or otherwise coerced/destabilised other countries to protect their profitability, and they’re continuing to get away with it scot-free. Coca Cola’s death squads in Colombia is another example that comes to mind. None of China’s companies, as far as I know, have couped or coerced/destablised a country for business interests. I’d say that alone makes for a more peaceful 100 years.
Thirdly, as @SmokinStalin@hexbear.net mentioned, Chinese billionaires have been executed for doing things that go against the public good, whereas billionaires get total impunity in the west, regardless of how much their actions harm the general population. The billionaire class is also accountable to the government, rather than the government being influenced by wealthy donors like we have in much of the west (and other neoliberal countries).
Of course, China can always do better. But I’d be hard-pressed to find how things can get worse (or even make no improvement) under a Chinese century compared to a continuation of what we currently have.