https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/highlights-from-the-comments-on-xi I: Xi's Rise To Power II: Censorship III: Anti-Corruption And Centralization IV: Miscellaneous I. Rise To Power — Erusian on Xi's rise: "Why did Xi succeed at gathering power, where others didn't?" Communist leaderships choose their leaders for ideological reasons. You're reducing it to cynical power politics. But this isn't how the the Soviet premier got or the Chinese paramount leader gets selected. They're selected for being good Communists, effectively for outstanding achievements in Communism, combined with pragmatic political considerations. Xi didn't subvert the system. Like Deng Xiaopeng before him he rode a wave, of which he was an intellectual proponent, that it was time for a strong leader to fundamentally reform the government. The fact Xi centralized power was not a surprise. It was what his mandate was. He wrote theoretical papers that basically boil down to, "We need to end term limits and have a strong, central leader for Marxist-Leninist reasons." And then he did that. The key moment was not his removal of term limits but the adoption of his Marxist theories into the formal ideology of the CCP.
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from Astral Codex Ten Podcast
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Your Review: Joan of Arc
07 Aug 2025
Astral Codex Ten Podcast
Book Review: Selfish Reasons To Have More Kids
03 Jun 2025
Astral Codex Ten Podcast
Links For February 2025
11 Mar 2025
Astral Codex Ten Podcast
The Emotional Support Animal Racket
28 May 2024
Astral Codex Ten Podcast
The Psychopolitics Of Trauma
27 Jan 2024
Astral Codex Ten Podcast
Book Review: A Clinical Introduction To Lacanian Psychoanalysis
27 Apr 2022
Astral Codex Ten Podcast