The First Modern Dictatorship

Reading The Origins of Political Order from 2011 by Francis Fukuyama. I'm not through the book yet but Fukuyama describes China in a fashion that makes it very easy to see what situation they are in today.

The first modern dictatorship in the world was apparently the Han dynasty, approximately 200 BC to 200 AD. This state was formed after a period of intense warfare which could have been the reason for why the Chinese decided to leave their kin-ships and accept the loss of freedom that a strong state meant. Since then there has not been any rule of law or accountability for the people in China. Today they are just operating such a state with modern technology. It has always been a lot of people relatively speaking in China, due to the rice that lets more people live on a given lot of land. The Chinese have learned how to manage large populations. Occasionally these empires breaks down, what Fukuyama calls patrimonialisation, ie the core family and extended family takes precedent again.

I have earlier written that I believe that the Chinese and those who they inspire are on a different track that does not lead towards democracy as we speak of it in Europe and the US. Fukuyama's book seems to confirm this suspicion. We therefore probably have to live with suspicious Russians and infamous Chinese to take over our car industry. If we don't drop it instead.

If I was doing research in ethics, I might wonder if it is possible to work in collaboration with the Chinese? If not corporate culture would be too different? It is one thing to buy things from the Chinese and to sell them our goods. However, it would all depend on where Sweden is heading. I haven't seen that poll but it would interest me to know what the Swedes believe is the future governing system on Earth. Europe, by the way, according to Fukuyama, developed socially before they developed politically which is unique and which contributed to our modern liberal democracy. We treasure rule of law and accountability.