…because – and forgive this ignorant foreigner for making this observation – but the People’s Republic of China’s endemic structural problems seem to be precisely what happens when you attempt to run an imperial-style government without an actual, you know, Emperor. Which is to say, the system works well enough until somebody needs a decision made by a person who is recognized to have universal authority. When that’s not available… well, that’s when things start getting messy.
I understand the unwillingness of the Chinese people to go through another Mao, of course. So I recommend a constitutional monarchy* with a strong parliament that permits non-Communist Party members to hold office. The rest will more or less work itself out. I also suggest letting the Chi-Coms retain certain of their traditional customs and/or folkways: to paraphrase David Weber, permitting the use of “Comrade Emperor” as a title of respect really will help to accommodate the hardliners to the new Son of Heaven…
(H/T Instapundit)
Moe Lane
*I wouldn’t go with strict primogeniture; designating one family – preferably with a clean genetic history – to draw from for rulers should probably work out well enough in the short run. But those are technical details.
