The same can be said today about the rise of authoritarian leaders who seem capable of quick decisions and forceful action, if not long-term planning. The debate and uncertainty that are intrinsic to democracies can begin to look like weaknesses when viewed alongside the order and continuity promised by authoritarian regimes. China, where President Xi Jinping (習近平) has steadily consolidated power, has done the most to advance this authoritarian illusion. Democracies expose societal fractures, whereas authoritarian regimes bury them. Likewise, authoritarian regimes can produce technically competent leaders, but those leaders are never fully accountable to society.

Source: Taipei Times January 24, 2026 17:08 UTC