The CCP's durability stems from studying and combining disparate models: the Catholic Church's hierarchical doctrine, the Sicilian Mafia's code of silence (omerta), and a rigorous analysis of the Soviet Union's collapse to ensure its own survival.

In 1978, Deng Xiaoping effectively staged a coup by keeping the Communist Party's branding while completely rewiring the country's economic system to a capitalist model. This pivotal but unacknowledged discontinuity from Maoism fueled China's modernization.

Jane Fonda points out that historically, authoritarian regimes always attack artists and educators first. These groups are the "storytellers" who control the cultural narrative and shape how people think and feel. By silencing them, a regime can more easily impose its own version of reality.

Tsar Alexander III, promoting an ideology of Russian exceptionalism, used Tchaikovsky's work for political ends. By celebrating him as a distinctly 'Russian' composer and bestowing state honors, the regime transformed his art into a tool for advancing a nationalist agenda of cultural separation from Western Europe.

China's "engineering state" mindset extends beyond physical projects to social engineering. The Communist Party treats its own people as a resource to be moved or molded—whether displacing a million for a dam or enforcing the one-child policy—viewing society as just another material to achieve its objectives.

Xi frames himself and the CCP not just as successors to Mao, but as the fulfillment of a long arc of Chinese imperial history. He draws parallels to powerful Qing-era emperors, reimagining imperial China's legacy to legitimize the current regime's strength and global position.

The Chinese Communist Party's popular support, its modern "Mandate of Heaven," is built on its proven ability to deliver stability, safety, and prosperity. Western assumptions that the populace secretly craves democracy overlook this deeply rooted, performance-based social contract.

A shared history, including painful memories, creates a powerful attachment to one's country. To take over, an ideology like communism must first erase or rewrite that history, demoralizing the populace and severing their attachment so society can be rebuilt in a new image.

While the Chinese government shuts down feminist NGOs and online platforms, "daily feminism" thrives. Women use informal discussion groups and mutual support networks to advance gender equality, demonstrating a resilient, decentralized form of activism that official suppression cannot eradicate.