> Democracy < dictatorship if you value technological and infrastructural progress over diversity, equity and inclusion.

Or not, depending on what examples you pick.

You might also want to include freedom and human rights in this picture somewhere.

That's an odd reference to DEI. I'd say the negative consequences of authoritarian regimes is that they suppress freedom, and therefore art and technological innovation.

China is authoritarian, but also has a huge political system, somewhat strong institutions. That can't be said of many authoritarian regimes, which tend to be more fragile. It takes a really long time to build civil institutions. For example, Russia has the money and an authoritarian regime, but repeatedly fails to innovate, and we can't predict what will happen when Putin leaves.

You're all over this forum spreading white nationalist and fascist sentiments, aren't you? Hard to miss you with a username like that.

The Soviet Union was an authoritarian regime and lost the technological arms race in silicon. Why?

The PRC is an authoritarian regime and lost every technological arms race it's ever participated in, often to its tiny little democratic neighbor, Taiwan. Why?

Japan built an HSR. So did Taiwan. What's so special about the PRC?

The PRC has become mall-ified. When was the last time you went? It's a static and sterile place. Alleys in Shanghai I used to love for the food stalls are now simply malls with chain food courts. Is that progress? Yuck. Not every country needs to go down the path of the USA.

Also it's simply not true that places like the PRC are culturally homogeneous. It is true that ethno-nationalist interests sell this lie, which is why the CPC propagandizes about international Han Communism and does genocide in Xinjiang. In reality, the PRC is composed of literally hundreds of ethnic groups. Every city has a language they speak alongside mandarin, and each is distinct from the other.

Elsewhere you're arguing that past societies were also culturally homogeneous, and I can't imagine what society on earth had the kind of innovations you'd acknowledge that was anywhere near culturally homogeneous. Ford's era was one of huge amounts of immigration to America (a peek into the white nationalist/ han chauvinist lie - remember, the Irish and Italians weren't white back then!), both Greek and Rome were flush with "foreigners," the enlightenment era was kicked off by European encounters with indigenous people, who then visited Europe and mocked them for their rigid social structures. So I just can't envision what you mean.

Basically, what you're saying isn't rooted in reality.

Why did you choose that username?