The Surrealism of Authoritarianism

Among the obvious hallmarks of authoritarianism are:

1. Arbitrary paranoia from on high — where students singing patriotic songs on bike rides are suddenly viewed to be a threat
2. Contradiction between reality and what the state wants you to believe — where state media simultaneously can champion “Labubu blind boxes” as signs of cultural & economic success but also frivolous “tools to exploit children’s wallets”

While every society has its own forms of this, it’s very clear China under Xi Jinping has advanced in troubling directions on both, an alarming sign for anyone who lives in China but also a reminder to free societies that it’s easier than you think to step down this path.