SATISH SHARMA - not just Rotigraphy.: HOW CHINA IS DIFFERENT FORM THE AMERICA

https://x.com/sov_media/status/2017583116882165788

HOW CHINA IS DIFFERENT FORM THE AMERICA In a powerful exchange with the late investigative journalist John Pilger, venture capitalist, political scientist, and author Eric X. Li offered a framing that cuts through decades of Cold War rhetoric about democracy, capitalism, and power. Li draws a sharp distinction between political choice and policy power. In the United States, he argues, voters can rotate political parties endlessly, but the core policies rarely change. Why; because capital has captured the state. Billionaires, corporations, and financial interests shape policymaking regardless of who wins elections. Political authority, in practice, cannot discipline capital. Today, this plays out in plain sight. From Donald Trump bringing figures like Elon Musk into government orbit, hosting tech billionaires at the White House, offering tax breaks to corporations, and openly aligning foreign policy with business interests; to Democrats doing the same through different language. Barack Obama’s decision to bail out Wall Street after the 2008 financial collapse, instead of holding bankers accountable, remains a defining example. Different parties; same beneficiaries. The system, Li argues, is structurally rigged in favour of the one percent. China, by contrast, operates in reverse. The Communist Party is not electorally replaceable, but policies are. Over six decades, China has shifted from Maoist central planning to a market driven economy, lifted more than 800 million people out of poverty according to the World Bank, industrialised at historic speed, and repeatedly adjusted its development strategy. The party remained; the policies changed dramatically. Crucially, Li rejects the idea that China is capitalist. Yes, markets exist; but capital does not sit above the state. Billionaires cannot capture the politburo or dictate national policy. Capital operates, but it does not rule. Whether one agrees or not, Li’s argument poses a fundamental question; is democracy about how often you vote, or about who actually holds power; and who the system ultimately serves?

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11:57 PM · Jan 31, 2026