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Comment by M_Grey | Hacker News Reader

I think it's one of those situations that is only going to be clear in some measure of hindsight. After all, any short-term benefit might be offset by the backlash when the media either evolves, or people (as they are now) gain access to foreign media sources. It seems to me that you'd utterly erode any sense of authority or trust you could build with your populace.

Shortsighted in other words, but what you'd expect from a gerontocracy.

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I spent a couple of years in Beijjg. I think most Chinese people in major cities are fully aware of the brainwashing goal and agendas of the media and would even consider CCTV1 to be funny. Young people create memes and satires on news content all the time. The thing is, CCTV1 has quite literally evolved into its own genre and it is therapeutic to listen to when you feel unsatisfied with your life.

That's an interesting take on the situation, and I appreciate the insight with someone with experience in China (I have none at all).

Why would one have a greater expectation of shortsighted measures from a gerontocracy vs. governments composed of, say, those in middle age? I don't understand why this would be a function of age.

Because humans are selfish, and if you have less than a decade on Earth you may not have as much of a stake in anything other than maintaining a degree of power and comfort until you die.

Some reasons why somebody with less than a decade left might pick a long-term stratagem:

• On the basis of kin selection, they would pick policies that favor their offspring - preserving one's DNA contribution is a powerful motivator.

• Possibly they're altruistic and want to leave the world a bit better than they found it. I've no idea what the frequency of such people is in the population, but I've met some, and I don't have that big a network.

• Ego. They want to be remembered beyond their lifetime for having contributed to something notable. Think of the robber barons like Carnegie, etc., who endowed libraries.

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