[I always thought that Mao was a radical break with the past. Then I started reading a lot of Chinese history. Some emperors were nice guys, some were monsters but all controlled their societies minutely beheading mandarins, generals and common people for minute infractions or because they were believed about to commit infractions.]
I used to think of Chinese Communism as a bane to the world. Now I think of it as an excellent obstacle to Chinese ambitions. The Communists have found a way to perpetuate the reigns of the emperors under their own banner. Fortunately for the rest of the world, that style of governance incorporates the very weaknesses that allowed nations from the other side of the world, whose forebears were savages when the Chinese were civilized, to kick the Chinese sovereign’s teeth in. So long as China is ruled by emperors like Xi Jinping, it will never rule the world. And not for lack of trying.
Really? Seems like it’s not holding back their ambitions one bit.