Xi Jinping will stroll into the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Congress to extend his decade-long tenure as leader of the world’s most populous country, to the uniform acclaim of its media. Meanwhile, the United States will show what Chinese citizens are missing. At its midterm elections, challengers will take on incumbents without fear, media will observe and opine without official hindrance, and voters will get to decide.
In a different era, that contrast would have been a globally impactful advertisement for liberal democracy over authoritarianism. In 2022, not necessarily.
True, most freedom-loving people in the world will shudder at the sight of China’s direction. After all, never has so much unaccountable power been bestowed by so many to so few. But the respect denied to China won’t automatically head America’s way. Not when the U.S. can’t seem to fix its own inexcusable flaws, like the systematic, scandalous campaign to disenfranchise Black citizens. China’s and Russia’s global influence operations won’t need to resort to fake news to exploit the genuine dysfunctions in the American system.
As mass cynicism and doubt about democracy grows, so will apathy, allowing autocrats the world over to continue lashing out with impunity at their critics. Independent journalists and other human rights defenders will have another troubled, thankless year.
Cherian George is a professor of media studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Xi Jinping will stroll into the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Congress to extend his decade-long tenure as leader of the world’s most populous country, to the uniform acclaim of its media. Meanwhile, the United States will show what Chinese citizens are missing. At its midterm elections, challengers will take on incumbents without fear, media will observe and opine without official hindrance, and voters will get to decide.
In a different era, that contrast would have been a globally impactful advertisement for liberal democracy over authoritarianism. In 2022, not necessarily.
True, most freedom-loving people in the world will shudder at the sight of China’s direction. After all, never has so much unaccountable power been bestowed by so many to so few. But the respect denied to China won’t automatically head America’s way. Not when the U.S. can’t seem to fix its own inexcusable flaws, like the systematic, scandalous campaign to disenfranchise Black citizens. China’s and Russia’s global influence operations won’t need to resort to fake news to exploit the genuine dysfunctions in the American system.
As mass cynicism and doubt about democracy grows, so will apathy, allowing autocrats the world over to continue lashing out with impunity at their critics. Independent journalists and other human rights defenders will have another troubled, thankless year.
Cherian George is a professor of media studies at Hong Kong Baptist University.
David Cohn
Simon Galperin
Tony Baranowski
An Xiao Mina
Richard Tofel
Kristen Muller
Anthony Nadler
Ariel Zirulnick
Gonzalo del Peon
Jessica Clark
Michael W. Wagner
Melody Kramer
Moreno Cruz Osório
Mario García
Sam Guzik
Simon Allison
Cristina Tardáguila
Julia Munslow
A.J. Bauer
Zizi Papacharissi
S. Mitra Kalita
Larry Ryckman
Tamar Charney
Sarah Stonbely
Rachel Glickhouse
Laxmi Parthasarathy
Julia Angwin
Millie Tran
Matthew Pressman
Jesse Holcomb
Anita Varma
Jennifer Brandel
Jonas Kaiser
Matt DeRienzo
Andrew Freedman
Christina Shih
Mandy Jenkins
Raney Aronson-Rath
Chase Davis
Mary Walter-Brown
Kerri Hoffman
Daniel Eilemberg
Alice Antheaume
Burt Herman
David Skok
Tom Trewinnard
Jim Friedlich
Shannon McGregor Carolyn Schmitt
Amara Aguilar
Don Day
Kathleen Searles Rebekah Trumble
Wilson Liévano
Kendra Pierre-Louis
Nikki Usher
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen
Robert Hernandez
Shalabh Upadhyay
Izabella Kaminska
Stefanie Murray
Mike Rispoli
Eric Nuzum
Meena Thiruvengadam
Joe Amditis
Francesco Zaffarano
Parker Molloy
j. Siguru Wahutu
Jesenia De Moya Correa
Joni Deutsch
Ståle Grut
Chicas Poderosas
Catalina Albeanu
Cindy Royal
Jody Brannon
Paul Cheung
Whitney Phillips
Victor Pickard
Janelle Salanga
Natalia Viana
Brian Moritz
Gordon Crovitz
Christoph Mergerson
Kristen Jeffers
Gabe Schneider
Amy Schmitz Weiss
Joanne McNeil
Jennifer Coogan
James Green
Candace Amos
Stephen Fowler
Matt Karolian
Joshua P. Darr
Errin Haines
Megan McCarthy
Anika Anand
Joy Mayer
John Davidow
Doris Truong
Cherian George
Sarah Marshall
Juleyka Lantigua