Stossel: Dictator Envy

Stossel: Dictator Envy

• Some Western leaders envy dictators’ powers.

"...President Barack Obama told reporters it would be so much easier to be the president of China.
Canada’s foolish Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, said he admires China because “their basic dictatorship is allowing them to actually turn their economy around on a dime.”
These are stupid and dangerous fantasies.

• ...“Thomas Friedman of The New York Times famously said that "he wanted to be China for a day to solve global warming.” If Friedman were dictator, he could solve global warming? 
• ...Another example: American media said we should look to China to contain COVID-19. NBC’s Chuck Todd asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, “How uncomfortable is it that perhaps China’s authoritarian ways did prevent this?” Fauci replies that China “prevented a broader spread.” But China’s “‘Zero COVID’ policy turned into a nightmare,” says Norberg. China locked people into homes. One city even killed COVID patients’ pets. China is still the one country that will not acknowledge that we may have to learn to live with COVID.

“That’s what you get with dictators,”..."