The Peoples' (or at least the higher party members') Republic of China

The dilemma. A very autocratic and often brutal police state. Capable of suppressing the tiniest (Democracy Wall), and largest (Tienanmen) trace of popular dissent, and of bullying almost all neighboring states (Tibet and South China Sea). Yet capable, as a partial result of the above, of 30 years of near ten percent yearly GDP growth, and, after initial duplicity, of manhandling the C-19 virus. It may well be a cautionary tale of where national governments may be going, as the world is choked by mismatches between resources and population, all lubricated by nationalistic demagogue tinpot leaders. We hear and read these ideas from academics, but it really hasn't reached the level of the body politic world wide. The trade off. Increased surveillance, and decreased personal and civil rights freedoms, in exchange for material goods, and "stability". The latter for comfy higher members of the one Party. There's a story about a lady Wuhan bound train passenger, in December of last year, reading a medical journal, and on crossing over into city limits, spontaneously putting on her mask. She was alone in this on a train full of citizens who were clueless as to C-19. As a doctor, she knew, but couldn't let others know that this was different from the usual mask wearing custom. The academic discussions may soon extend to every day folks, who are less worried about the right to speak out against the government, than to forego a new toaster, or electric back scratcher.. Paraphrasing an American statesman, those who will easily trade freedom for security, will soon have neither.