[marktwain]

The PRC is so effing stupid. When are they going to simply embrace free-market capitalism? What does anyone get out of tyranny? What’s the payoff? I must be missing something.

You are missing something major.

The desire for power and authority over others.

The desire for status. It has been a major part of the human psyche forever.

The U.S. is an outlier in history. No other country has had as much freedom and prosperity for as many people for so long.

Tyranny is the default position for mankind.

[daniel1212]

You are missing something major. The desire for power and authority over others.

This is a correct observation. For a government seeking extreme control of its population, then the CV crisis is very useful. China Using Drones in Increasingly Dystopian Ways to Combat Coronavirus Outbreak