Yes, democratic political culture is a culture of popular, low risk decisions, and stagnation. This limits how far these countries can develop. The problem with assuming China will reach the same stagnation, is because that outlook is the situation democracies accept as inevitable, because it's the best they've been able to achieve. It doesn't mean that's the best there is. China runs on a different engine. I believe it can go further. I hope it does, because then they've created a new system that we can all learn from. The current results of political rule in western liberal democracies i find disappointing, so i sincerely cheer on the Chinese for doing something different and hope they have created something better in some aspects.

As you point out, the Chinese are expert copiers. What i love about this is that it means they are open to taking the best parts of what's worked, and adapting it themselves. They're pragmatic, and flexible. I love that about them, because that adaptability and openness to achievements of others ( instead of insecurely insisting their existing way is superior ) means they are effective learners, and can effectively make the most of opportunities. So we can say they are simply doing this with policy, politics and governance, to create a new system.

Their risk taking attitude means they can run lots of experiments, different policies in different cities, and learn from the results. Remember tho, their scale didn't just happen. They built a country that big. Also, it's not just about having scale, it's about how skillful the choices you make with what you have, are. Russia and India also possesses scale of d different sorts, but they're not as successful to me as China.

yorwba and I believe different things about propaganda and harmony. I think the gap in beliefs is too much to cover here now. We agree that propos is an effective tool, but I believe it can be put to good and that's what the Chinese do. yorwba views propos cynically, and doesn't see it that way at all. Similarly, i think, differ our beliefs about harmony.

Finally i believe the option, the freedom, to make a bold move is a requirement, for taking care of your citizens well being. If your can't take risks because your political system disincentivizes you from doing so, then you're not not able to serve your citizens well being as much as you could. I don't know how you get around that weakness.