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Ex-World of Warcraft developer's thread about China and the gaming industry

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408 points seapunk | 4 comments | 09 Oct 19 10:27 UTC | HN request time: 0.889s | source
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roenxi ◴[09 Oct 19 12:36 UTC] No.21202536[source]▶
It is interesting to look back at the last ~50 years from a strategic standpoint. The West gambled that economic prosperity would usher in an age of Chinese liberty, if not actual democracy, and that attempts to resist that would lead to economic collapse.

With benefit of hindsight maybe that strategy was too passive. China has embraced the technical aspects of Western society but it looks dangerously like it will carry them with an authoritarian philosophy. It is a pity; particularly since the English Common Law system combined with separation of power is the greatest accomplishment of the Anglosphere and China would have really ushered in an age of enlightenment had they taken that on.

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1. cm2187 ◴[09 Oct 19 13:40 UTC] No.21203076[source]▶
I am less pessimistic than you, I just think it will take more time. With the economic prosperity brought by capitalism, a large middle class is appearing in China. And I think ultimately this middle class is what will push for more democracy.

But it takes time for that middle class to form, to reach critical size, and for it to propagate through the senior ranks of the regime. It might happen in 15-20 years.

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2. TeMPOraL ◴[09 Oct 19 13:46 UTC] No.21203128[source]▶
I'm not sure about this at this point. The way I see it, wealth and prosperity allows liberal values to grow, but does not force them. It's possible there will be a change from within, but it's also possible that Chinese citizens will make a society that's free and liberal for them but not for everyone else. I think it's a matter of what cultural values are allowed to develop, and their government has ample tools to influence that.
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3. zentiggr ◴[09 Oct 19 13:53 UTC] No.21203219[source]▶
And they'll wind up like the American middle class, paupered by the corporate/government back pocket usurpation of process in pursuit of profit and control.

If I could take a time machine back to stop one influential person, it would be James M. Buchanan. Tracing the rise of 'corporations should be unfettered to operate as they wish' thinking back to him, is an interesting exercise.

4. Aunche ◴[09 Oct 19 14:47 UTC] No.21203761[source]▶
> it's also possible that Chinese citizens will make a society that's free and liberal for them but not for everyone else.

In the short term, probably, but change takes time. It took 90 years for the US to ban slavery and another 100 for minorities to officially be equal in the eyes of the law.