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Just so I understand: You are holding up China as a refuge from totalitarian tendencies?

When it comes to economic rules, China went from a centrally-controlled economy to a shockingly unregulated (by Western standards) market economy. If you want to speak up against the government you're out of luck, but if you want to sell baby formula without inspections it's much easier than in the States.

I'm saying: obviously China, which is an environment of dreadful rights of expression of all sorts, is not a good example of the potential of innovation sans government.

Yes... China is about as unregulated w.r.t. to industry as you can get. Have you ever seen the air quality in Beijing? Do you remember the air quality in LA in the 80s before stricter CARB standards? (Or are you too young to?)

I never visted LA in the 80s. I have two friends who live in Shanghai and complain about the air quality.

Regardless, the state is no friend to the environment.

And as I said to the other commenter, I don't think it's reasonable to hold up China, a huge and corrupt state with no meaningful rights to expression, as an example of innovation sans government.

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