In a recent article, I mentioned how the difference between democracy and authoritarianism was greater than that between capitalism and communism. A recent incident illustrates this point.
Students in Peking University’s Marxist Student Association had been protesting against their government. China’s hypergrowth economy has led to a significant wealth gap between rich and poor in recent years; labor unrest has been picking up. But when the students became openly critical of inequality in society and government corruption, it became an embarrassment—the nominally communist government was embarrassed by students who were more communist than they were. In addition, Peking University is the elite school of China: its graduates are expected to become leaders of the nation someday. Having its students active in labor demonstrations and strikes around Beijing only made matters worse. Over 20 club members were placed under house arrest or disappeared altogether. One former leader, who went missing in April 2019, left an if-I-disappear video, which detailed his earlier treatment at the hands of Beijing police—treatment that included torture. The University finally dissolved the club, though it continues to meet in secret.
This tragic scenario illustrates the difference between democracy and authoritarianism. Democracy allows people to have opinions and to make decisions in state matters. Authoritarian governments allow people to have opinions—provided they keep them to themselves. Dissent has consequences. This communist student group was persecuted by a communist government, so income redistribution was not the issue: having an opinion was. Such authoritarianism harkens back to the days of kings and monarchies, when citizens had no say in state matters. China’s centralized power structure is a remnant of those days.
In the past, communism and authoritarianism often went hand-in-hand. However, socialist countries like Sweden found a way to make income redistribution and democracy work together. This cannot be the case in China: authoritarianism and democracy are at two different places on the development spectrum: they cannot work together.
Reference:
Gerry Shih, “In China, voices from the vanished,” Washington Post, 26 May 2019, A1; see also https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/if-i-disappear-chinese-students-make-farewell-messages-amid-crackdowns-over-labor-activism-/2019/05/25/6fc949c0-727d-11e9-9331-30bc5836f48e_story.html
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