The illusion of benevolent dictatorship

Huey Li is the author of Dividing the Rulers: How Majority Cycling Saves Democracy, and a popular explainer of U.S. and Chinese politics on TikTok, YouTube, and Substack. He regularly debunks misguided ideas that trend on those platforms, pouring cold water on some of the excessive enthusiasms of his audience, and helping them to understand the way authoritarian rulers and dictators exercise their power. In this show, we discuss: * Majority cycling* The state of American politics* Misguided perceptions of China* Political polarization * TikTok and whether the Chinese government is manipulating its algorithm * Constraints on presidential power in the U.S. * The importance of voting* The illusion of benevolent dictatorshipThe Rhyming Chaos podcast is produced by Jeremy Goldkorn and Maria Repnikova, and edited by Cadre Scripts. The theme music is Paper Boy, composed and performed on the guzheng by Wu Fei. Our closing music is Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie No. 1, arranged and performed by Wu Fei. Our cover art is by Li Yunfei.Please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, leave us a review, and if you like what we’re doing, please take out a paid subscription at rhymingchaos.com. Get full access to Rhyming Chaos at www.rhymingchaos.com/subscribe