I’m finishing the last episode of S5 now, and I’ll be fully caught up on this series. Between Afghanistan and Cambodia, China’s willingness to play ball with the US and its agenda is frustrating to learn.
It leaves me wanting to learn more about the Sino/Soviet split. The way this division manifested really aligned China with some dark forces, it would seem.
I also imagine the process of “normalization” with the US plays a huge role in the way this history unfolds as well.
It makes me wonder what they knew about The Khmer Rouge’s operations. I was left with the impression, based on how the history was laid out, that China was aware of just how aggressive and bloody the Khmer Rouge’s policies were.
Something about that stretch of time between 79 and 89 seems to have resulted in a bunch of weird geopolitical stuff.
Need to finish this episode, I guess.
Yes, they have some capitalist bullshit, but the capitalists don’t own the state. They don’t buy politicians or dictate policy. It’s not too dissimilar from the New Deal. It’s how China is currently leading the world in solar and nuclear – new technologies don’t have to struggle in the shadow of established firms.
Actually comparing it to the New Deal is a great way to describe it to people who haven’t really read about Chinese government or history. I’m going to steal that.
I know! From a broad historical perspective, it’s almost bafflingly funny. The US managed to throw together a system of coordinating state and private power in a way that could out-compete any of the older capitalist powers. Then we dismantled solely for ideological reasons. Now our leadership can’t even recognize that dynamo being recreated anywhere else! It’s somehow “cheating” and always moments away from violent collapse.