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>This seems a little hypocritical given that the US [...]

How is it hypocritical when the article doesn't even mention the US at all? It's possible to be critical of China's authoritarianism AND whatever the US's failures are.

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There's an implicit comparison to the alternative.

There's more than one alternative.

Saying "X doesn't work" never necessarily implies that "Y does work", especially when options Z, A, B, and C still exist.

Except in the context of propaganda where they are in fact attempting to plant the idea of a dichotomy in people's heads without having to defend one side of it.

fwiw reporting is from the Atlantic, which is US based with most of its readers in the US.

It's not "hypocritical" to address the fact that authoritarianism is a failure multiplier unless one is an advocate of authoritarianism.

the point is the headline and the tone. there is absolutely no empathy in it. you don't need to be for or against authoritarianism to spot that. and I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't frankly.

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