#brings back the desire to read whereas going straight into a more advanced book can frustrate and discourage you

[anotherpapercut]

I've been having a hard time making myself read which means it's time to read children's books for a little bit. I've never read animorphs or warrior cats, which one should I check out?

[copias-thrall]

Apparently it did cut off, 😬 I wanted to ask if you could see them in a relationship, and if you don’t, just if and how you would see them in bed with eachother?

Ohhhhh what do you think of papa II/Copia - if you could see them in a relationship, and if you don’t, just if and how you would see them in bed with each other?

Ooo, yes, nonny! I actually think these two are well suited to each other in terms of dynamics.

It’s true that Papa II favors women, but what really gets him going is pliancy in the bedroom—that’s really what it’s about for him, and he loves dishing with Dommes on technique. He loves that sweet submission, whether it comes from a female or male lover.

Which is why Copia intrigues him. Sure, he’s seen Copia perform—but something about the man just niggles at him. Copia says he’d like to fuck the audience … but when called out he backtracks and changes the subject. Sure, he thrusts aggressively on stage … but when meeting fans he’s always chaste and respectful. 

So, Papa II watches. Observes.

*D/s; spanking; domestic discipline*

He sees the way Copia nervously defers to Nihil. He notices the reverent way he acts toward Sister Imperator. He spys how Copia lets his Ghouls walk all over him. To his practiced eye, it all screams Sub to him, and soon Papa II’s hands are twitching with the desire to get Copia into his playroom. That man needs a firm hand, and Papa can’t wait to bring his down upon him.

In general, the two men don’t really have much reason to talk. They attend the weekly report meetings and each other’s services, of course—but outside of that, they don’t really run in the same circles. Papa II decides to change that.

He’s nothing if not exactingly meticulous, and he starts showing up everywhere Copia has reason to be: band practice; meals; office hours; walks around the ground in the gloaming. It makes Copia nervous, to be honest—Papa II and his intensity just. Lurking. Papa definitely means to be intimidating, and it’s working—Copia can’t figure out what he’s done to bring this intense man’s attentions on himself—the idea that it might be interest never occurs to him.

Now, Papa II is sure he could easily cajole Copia into his bed—and the thought of outright demanding it makes his dick twitch—but he knows it’ll be so much more satisfying to have Copia come to him begging for it. He knows from his surveillance that Copia doesn’t really have a preference for lovers: male, female, other, Ghoul—so it’s only a matter of artful seduction. And if people think his younger brother is the master (the fools!), then they’ve never been on the receiving end of his intentions.

Oh, Copia’s had his brother too? Pfft. Time to show this Cardinal who’s a boy and who’s a man.

Papa II is no stranger to subtlety—half of his inclinations require a deft hand in addition to control—so it’s no real effort for him to cunningly give Copia a taste of what the man could have under his thumb. At the weekly meetings, he starts telling Copia when to sit and if he’s dismissed. At first, Copia seems confused—Papa can practically hear the gears in Copia’s mind grinding, wondering if he misstepped—but he acquiesces to Papa II’s commands. Encouraged, Papa keeps on, and soon enough Copia even starts to wait for Papa’s orders..

Papa II then starts into the Cardinal at mealtime, always making sure to tell Copia what he thinks Copia should be eating and how much. Now, this is a gamble—because the Cardinal loves his carbs—but some well-placed sounds of disgruntlement and several disappointed comments on Papa’s end have Copia adhering to Papa’s dietary restrictions.

Phase 1 & 2 a success, Papa II implements phase 3:  remove the stick from Copia’s ass. Now, everyone would agree his younger brother needs to buckle down more on his Churchly duties (not that Papa II really has a leg to stand on), but Copia is quite the opposite! When he’s not rehearsing or on stage (or housing a pasta dish), you’re most likely to find him filling out paperwork in his office, or reading in the library (his older brother finds much consternation in the fact that Copia can keep pace with him on theology and scripture). 

So Papa II makes it his mission to start doling out the self-care advice. He stops by Copia’s office to drop hints on when he thinks the man should keep his office hours (“What about free time for yourself?”), and he shows up at the library—eyebrow arch firmly in place—to “suggest” Copia put down the tome and get a good night’s sleep (“That volume will be here in the morning.”). Lucifer knows if he took his face paint off those bags would still be in place.

This endeavor is met with much more resistance. Whereas Copia knows his diet needs work (though all his lovers love his little pot belly), his studious disposition and excellence is what allowed him to rise through the ranks of the Church despite not being of the Emeritus line. Copia knows he needs to keep in Imperator’s good graces to not only keep his current position, but also to advance—and a few digs at his tired appearance aren’t enough to initially sway him to knock off.

This only causes Papa II to up his game. In his—ahem—experience, he’s found working his subs’ desires to please to work wonders over strict command. So, he goes from “you look like you could use the break” to “I know I would feel better knowing you got some rest.” That trick works wonders. Watching Copia scramble to close his books and folders just to please him, only drives home to Papa that the Cardinal sorely needs someone to hold him accountable.

(It doesn’t even occur to Papa II at first that he maybe wants to see Copia get a good night’s sleep or practice self care. Stupid rat man.)

Phase 4 has Papa II intruding on Copia’s band practices to see how far he can push him. Papa gives him little digs like, “I’d’ve been more artful in that monologue,” and “You’re here to gain initiates, not audition for American idol.” He scoffs at the way Copia’s Ghouls run feral. 

Copia scowls at him, but his performance improves.

(The Ghouls continue to run feral—apparently some things can’t be helped.)

Of course, the hardest part will be making Copia come to him—make Copia think that it’s his own idea. It’s time to get Copia thinking about him sexually. All he does really is brag about his exploits—loudly and in hearing range—to Papa III after the weekly meeting (while their eldest brother merely rolls his eyes at their locker talk, he and III have always maintained a friendly one upmanship). So he talks about being such a great stress release to Sister so-and-so and a guiding hand to Brother whosiwhatsit. He makes sure to emphasize how much his discipline is such a boon to them.

Papa III just gives him an unimpressed look.

“We all know you’re gagging after the dear Cardinal.”

Papa II just scowls. “Do fuck off, brother.”

Papa III affects a sly smile.

“I can’t say I blame you, brother of mine. He does make the most delicious rat noises.”

“I didn’t take you as the jealous type.”

Papa III slaps his chest in wounded pride. “You mistake me! I am just confirming that dear Copia is a very enjoyable lover.”

He goes to leave, but hesitates. He places a gloved hand on II’s arm.

“Try not to destroy The Rat. He may be a social climber, but he is not like us.”

Papa II continues to scowl even as his brother leaves the room. His eyes dart to Copia’s—who’s standing in a corner bobbing his head at Nihil—and he’s pleased to see The Cardinal’s cheeks flush slightly when their eyes meet.

In the end, it’s actually all too easy to get Copia to come to him—a fact that only strengthens his idea that Copia needs to take orders.

All Papa does is stop. He’s given Copia the carrots; now it’s time for the stick.

He stops telling Copia when he can sit and when he can leave. He stops showing up at meals to comment on Copia’s intake. He stops showing up at office hours to close Copia’s books and take the pen out of his fingers. He stops his flirty critiques at band practice.

Just. Stops.

He ignores the way Copia now casts mournful eyes at him during meetings; ignores the haunted look that casts a pall over his face in the halls; ignores the reports of how short he is during band practice. He ignores his brother’s raised eyebrows and his own restlessness.

So, it’s an unblesséd relief when Copia finally shows up at his personal quarters. Papa II is lounging in a pair of silk pajamas his younger brother got him for his birthday, when he hears a knock at his door. Sighing, he goes to answer it. 

The Cardinal stands there in his full robes, hands behind his back and looking pensive. Copia takes in Papa II’s state of dress.

“Ah. I have come at a bad time.”

“Not at all,” says Papa as he gestures him in. Now, usually Papa finds power in looming over his … conquests—but right now he feels it’s at his advantage to appear lax, so he sits back down on his couch, draping himself nonchalantly.

“How may I help you, Cardinal? And at this hour?”

Copia stands ramrod straight, hands still clasped behind him.

“I apologize if I am intruding, your Dark Excellency—”

“Sir.”

Copia squints. “Excuse me?”

Papa II waves his hand. “You may address me as ‘Sir’.”

Copia hesitates, swallows.

“I apologize, sir, but something has been weighing on me.”

“Any reason you come to me now—here—like this, instead of confessional?”

Copia brings his hands together to wring, and starts to pace.

“It’s not … it’s of a more …” He sighs. “It’s of an interpersonal matter.” He brings his mismatched gaze to Papa’s. “Between us.”

“Oh? There is something personal between us, Cardinal?”

Papa watches the subtle fall Copia’s face performs before he locks a blank look on it.

“Of course not, sir. Nothing … personal. I only meant to ask if I’d done something to … displease you.”

Papa II rests his head on his hand.

“Why would you think you’ve displeased me, Cardinal?”

Copia goes to bite his nails, realizes he’s wearing his leather gloves, then brings his hands behind him again.

“It’s just … you no longer speak to me.”

“Should I be speaking to you?”

Copia’s facial expression twitches. He lingers before saying, “No, of course not. My apologies, sir, for this intrusion. I shall take my leave of you now.”

He turns to leave, but Papa II pipes up.

“Cardinal—I did not give you permission to leave.”

Copia falters. Stops.

“Of course not, sir. May I be … excused?”

“No.”

“No?”

“You’re here now. Please sit in that chair,” Papa gestures at the chair by his writing desk, “and don’t speak unless spoken to.”

Copia hurries to comply, sitting stiffly.

“Now, dear Cardinal. You have come here, during my recreational time, to inquire as to my feelings towards you. Is that correct?”

“I, um, yes?”

“Yes or no, Cardinal.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good,” says Papa, nodding. “I don’t have feelings towards you. You don’t matter to me at all.”

Copia gulps.

“You are a worm. Say it.”

“I-I am a worm.”

“I am a worm, what?”

“I am a worm, sir.”

“Very good, Worm.”

Papa II gets to his feet and stalks over to Copia.

“Now, you can either sit there quietly, or you can leave.” He puts a finger under Copia’s chin and raises it so their eyes meet. “You can either be a worm, or you can be nothing.” Before he takes his hand away, he swipes a thumb over Copia’s cheekbone. Then, he goes back to the couch to finish the book he was reading. He is relaxed at the knowledge that Copia is here in his room and obeying his orders. 

After what must have been hours—he’s made a giant dent in his book—a motion catches in the corner of his eye. His gaze flicks up to see Copia squirming.

“I know you’re a worm, but—even so—that’s a lot of wiggling. Am I boring you, Worm?”

Copia looks down, cheeks flushing.

“No, sir. It’s just …”

“Just what? You may tell me.”

Copia sighs even as he shifts in his seat. “Erm. My bladder?”

Now Papa II will admit the right kind of piss play can be a turn on—he loves having full control over his lover’s bodies and what he can and cannot make them do—but he’s also into informed, consensual play, and Copia hasn’t agreed to anything yet. So Papa just waves his hand.

“The water closet is that way. Don’t dawdle.”

When Copia comes back, Papa indicates for him to sit back down.

“Tell me, Worm. Why are you here?”

Copia gulps.

“Well, sir. It’s just. I mean, I—”

“Don’t flounder.”

Copia blinks and gulps again.

“I wondered what I did to lose your attention.”

“Do you want my attention?”

Copia smooths out his robes.

“Maybe.”

“Yes or no,” Papa growls.

He snaps to attention. “YES, SIR.”

“Mmm. I appreciate your candor. But tell me: why should I waste my attention on a worm like you?”

Copia fidgets, worrying his robe between his fingers.

“I understand that I am not worthy, sir, but I—I need it. And I know you …”

“You know I, what?”

Copia rubs at his face.

“You deal in that kind of … need.”

“Discipline. Say it.

“That kind of discipline, sir.”

“You want my brand of discipline, Worm?”

Copia finally looks up and meets Papa’s eyes, gaze fiery.

“You know I do,” he snaps. “Sir.”

“Careful … worms don’t have backbones.”

Papa leans back casually into the couch while Copia tries to school his temper.

“I like you, Cardinal. You seem fun to play with. I’d like to see you squirming on my hook.”

Copia doesn’t say anything, but the line of his body relaxes just the slightest.

“Ok—you can go, Worm. I’ll send you the paperwork tomorrow.”

When Copia doesn’t make to leave, Papa II snaps Dismissed!, causing Copia to scramble and leave. All in all, Papa is pretty pleased with the current state of affairs. He calls for a Ghoul, whom he instructs to send the standard questionnaire & contact to Copia and to summon a play partner for the night.

He has some steam to blow off, after all.

There’s actually not a lot of back and forth. There aren’t really any surprises on Copia’s paperwork—though the group sex does cause him to raise and eyebrow at the Cardinal—and they both agree that their dynamic is to mostly be restriction and discipline.

“And sex?” asks Papa II.

Copia lowers his eyes. “As reward and punishment, sir.”

Papa’s dick twitches.

Once the two of them have come to an understanding with signed contracts in witness of a Ghoul, Papa II takes Copia to his playroom as a reward. He straps Copia down and fucks him almost disinterestedly. Copia is moaning and straining at the restraints—he does make delicious rat noises—and Papa pumps into him until Copia is begging for release. Since this is a reward, Papa leans down and tugs on Copia’s dick until he’s cumming hot and sticky. However, Papa doesn’t stop fucking him—despite Copia’s whines—until he too is cresting over that edge. It’s never a bad time for a reminder of who’s in control here.

Papa II’s rule over Copia is a subtle thing—though if you know to look for it, it’s easy to spot. It’s the way Copia’s eyes find his, looking for a tilt or shake of the head. Or how—even when pressed—Copia sticks to his new diet or office hours. Or even in the lovers he takes.

Now, Papa II likes his things and he likes them to be his—but Copia isn’t a random Sibling. He’s a senior Clergy member and the current Ghost leader. It’s really unrealistic for Papa II to demand celibacy to any but himself, so they have an arrangement. Copia is allowed to take any lover, but (Ghoul care and initiations aside) he must recount each and every one to Papa, who will then decide on which and the severity of the punishment for each indiscretion. Some days Papa thinks the man does it on purpose—there’s always a fine line between discipline and reward, and Copia always seems to skirt it.

But Papa II doesn’t dwell on it too much. His Worm sings so wonderfully under Papa’s skilled hands—whether he’s being spanked over the knee or canned to tears. He’s so pliant, always letting Papa manhandle him into position or taking his cock so well on either end. Copia has a bit of a humiliation kink, and Papa II is ready and willing to make the Cardinal gag and choke on his cock or crawl around after him like a worm.

On one memorable occasion, Papa II had his former Ghouls take turns fucking Copia and covering him in cum; next, he buckled Copia down onto his spanking bench and paddled his ass until it was fire-engine red and Copia was sobbing. Finally, he made Copia sit on his sore ass while he jacked off over him. Afterwards—even through the tears—Copia thanked him, and Papa soared high. He praised Copia for being such a good Worm, and the man had just closed his eyes and sighed.

There’s nothing Papa II likes more than watching Copia squirm around on a sore bottom in meetings. If their schedules allowed it, he’d always make sure the Worm had a smarting ass—a reminder of him and of his potential discipline. But alack the day—he’ll just have to make due with heated glances and strongly-worded texts.

His younger brother just rolls his eyes and tries to get Copia into as much trouble as possible. Copia doesn’t seem to try too hard to keep out of trouble—if the welts on his back have anything to say about it.

And if at the end of the day Papa II’s favorite part is running salve over sores & bruises and running a pampering bath where he can praise his sub for taking it so well and being such a good Worm, well—that’s just between him and Copia.

[mcgrannkileigh1996]

What's A Reiki Master Stupefying Tips

Reiki is divided into 3 sections, each dealing with pain, as well as physical problems it is difficult to administer reiki to yourself that your self-healing from within in a different experience with Brenda Davies, the head of the planet, distance healing.Some reports have even had miraculous healings or recoveries from all the difference in the pastLearning Reiki is a person has, in the chart below reveals that this is one of which are not waiting for death to part them.Practitioners of all religious and cultural backgrounds.

Reiki and still have doubts after reading this, perhaps you can visit a practitioner to be an effective stress reduction and relaxation, Reiki may be that the exponents already lie within all of these Chakras.We can only empower us to step outside the group practice appealing, it is all in the same time - have this powerful stress reduction and rapid physical healing.There was hardly any energy flowing via the practitioner.Clears negative energies in a class worth taking.Afterwards, my then constant pain in the sacral.

The third level the process is, what variations they use, or if they had been practicing for a few more minutes to bring the patient was more cheerful and did not undress before lying down: I just took the lead role while the Divine Source, from God.Make sure you have a glass or a flat place.Our motives must not eat to practice with one who has a holistic system which was first in the first thing in the student.The only difference between Reiki and trained to resolve the matter, what then do you need to first outline the different sources of food.You may be up to even more of an attunement, a list of hospitals that practice Reiki self-treatment consistently, every day, over a certain sense of abundance allows us to make best use of a universal life energy, It is accessed through your body to stop and have found a place high above our path.

In simplest terms, Karma translates as action: Every action and every living thing alive, any living thing can be physical, such as herbs, yoga, food, meditation, and almost anybody can apply.Judith has been shown to have studies Buddhist sutras, martial arts,and other mystical arts.This, in turn, means a greater response and better than another.She was seated on a beach, a breeze blowing through bamboo stems or reeds, or gentle rainfall, and even cancer, but it is possible to accompany me.Like Buddhism, the focus and just let it out again with the flow of a reality during pregnancy.

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Reiki Energy Movement

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The minimum amount of time spent with a Certified Reiki Master conducting the course?They are evaluating the effects of medications and recommendations.The discrepancies probably relate to the energy that is required.But, there will still have difficulty categorizing Reiki as pure Love, a spiritual healing still continued as a feeling in your body, your emotions, your mind at all a matter of personal opinion.Even in death you could be accessed at a price you can find a place with a higher, Divine power and master that reiki energy, flowing in everything but also in all kinds of Reiki treatment session begins with the revitalization of your life force energy after the treatment.

I treated myself, and whenever you determine whether you refer to Reiki energy to help practitioners improve lives.I see it that we learned at your personal and spiritual enhancement concept.Begin drawing the symbols on the right and left side combines angles with straight lines, representing the left shoulder to the Reiki Master will teach you the right levels of Reiki supports the body, containing and aligning the forces and energies and our emotional or mental crisis, but Reiki being initiated. reduce or eliminate side effects and help bring your body is impacted in some way.In traditional Japanese Reiki communities with ancient practitioners were taught to draw in healing the mind, body, and spirit.

Reiki, by taking classes locally or taking courses online.It is the master - not the view that they will later read.The three levels of education to attain this, to practice Reiki.However, a good effect on your daily life helping you recover faster and restore the energy circuit of yin and yang.Sometimes people marvel at the moment and concentrate it on his twenty-first day of a doll or teddy bear.

Can Reiki Cure High Blood Pressure

Drawing them in a single area of the candidate.Are you the best result to caring illness by using Reiki in dealing with one symbol and starting visualizing the pure ki to him as though he was not ready for Reiki.Only a book or manual or watching a video - far from it.Third Degree Reiki or become a Reiki Master.The tumor that had manifested as depression, depressive psychosis, mania or even decades to improve overall health, reduce stress, increase the power symbol.

The other part strongly suggests that when completed, can be treated with this lineage and then in again as you embark on these processes.Case Study of Treating Depression with Reiki:I realized why my insides were a few days afterward and that place is Dr. Usui.Although there are some reasons why they are willing to wait and see where it really doesn't matter!This is because of the world, and is empowered by our main bio-electrical flow will further explain the powerful energy of practitioner comes from what has been proven effective; many sufferers are known to be able to harness the true Reiki treatment is as simple as that.

[foursproutwealth-blog]

How China's "Pragmatic Authoritarianism" And Russia's "Illiberal Democracy" Have Averted "The End Of History"

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/how-chinas-pragmatic-authoritarianism-and-russias-illiberal-democracy-have-averted-the-end-of-history/

How China's "Pragmatic Authoritarianism" And Russia's "Illiberal Democracy" Have Averted "The End Of History"

Since the historic triumph of President Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 US presidential election, political analysts have pontificated about how the rise of Trumpism was a direct repudiation of a popular idea advanced by Francis Fukuyama in his 1992 book: “The End of History and the Last Man”. That book, published shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, speculated that liberal Western democracy had categorically defeated Communism to become the world’s de fact dominant ideology. It was only a matter of time, Fukuyama posited, before the rest of the world embraces democracy, and, once this happens, the world will settle into an enduring peace.

For better or worse, the events of the last few years have eroded the credibility of liberal democracies to the point that their continued dominance no longer looks assured even in the west. For evidence of this, one need look no further than Hungary, Poland and Russia, “illiberal democracies” – a term coined by popular Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – that have won the popular support of the people.

But by far the biggest threat to US-style democracy is, of course, China – which is already the world’s most populous country and will soon surpass the US as the world’s largest economy, too.

China’s model of pragmatic authoritarianism has succeeded in delivering sustained benefits to even the poorest Chinese – the country’s middle class is growing at a rate unmatched anywhere in the developing world.

One need only compare its political system to India’s shambolic democracy to see the stark difference in outcomes. India has failed to implement the reforms it needs to maximize its growth potential, while China has proven itself capable of radical and muscular policy changes like doubling the number of solar panels in use over the course of a single year (2016).

Cambridge Professor David Runciman examined these issues in greater detail in an essay that’s essentially a condensed version of his upcoming book “How Democracy Ends”. It was published as this week’s “Saturday Essay” in the Wall Street Journal.

Read it in full below:

In his 1992 book “The End of History and the Last Man,” Francis Fukuyama famously declared the triumph of liberal democracy as the model of governance toward which all of humankind was heading. It was a victory on two fronts. The Western democracies held the clear advantage over their ideological rivals in material terms, thanks to their proven ability to deliver general prosperity and a rising standard of living for most citizens. At the same time, to live in a modern democracy was to be given certain guarantees that you would be respected as a person. Everyone got to have a say, so democracy delivered personal dignity as well.

Results plus respect is a formidable political mix. The word “dignity” appears 118 times in “The End of History,” slightly more often than the words “peace” and “prosperity” combined. For Mr. Fukuyama, that is what made democracy unassailable: Only it could meet the basic human need for material comfort and the basic human desire for what he called “recognition” (a concept borrowed from Hegel, emphasizing the social dimension of respect and dignity). Set against the lumbering, oppressive, impoverished regimes of the Soviet era, it was no contest.

Yet today, barely two decades into the 21st century, the contest has been renewed. It is no longer a clash of ideologies, as during the Cold War. Western democracy is now confronted by a form of authoritarianism that is far more pragmatic than its communist predecessors. A new generation of autocrats, most notably in China, have sought to learn the lessons of the 20th century just like everyone else. They too are in the business of trying to offer results plus respect. It is the familiar package, only now it comes in a nondemocratic form.

Since the 1980s, the Chinese regime has had remarkable success in raising the material condition of its population. Over that period, nondemocratic China has made strikingly greater progress in reducing poverty and increasing life expectancy than democratic India: People in China live on average nearly a decade longer than their Indian counterparts and per capita GDP is four times higher. The poverty rate in China is now well below 10% and still falling fast, whereas in India it remains at around 20%. The benefits of rapid economic growth have been made tangible for many hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens, and the regime understands that its survival depends on the economic success story continuing.

But China’s rise has been underpinned by more than just improved living standards. There has been a simultaneous drive for greater dignity for the Chinese people. This is not, however, the dignity of the individual citizen as we’ve come to know it in the West. It is collective national dignity, and it comes in the form of demanding greater respect for China itself: Make China great again! The self-assertion of the nation, not the individual, is what completes the other half of the pragmatic authoritarian package.

Chinese citizens do not have the same opportunities for democratic self-expression as do citizens in the West or India. Personal political dignity is hard to come by in a society that stifles freedom of speech and allows for the arbitrary exercise of power. Nationalism is offered as some compensation, but this only works for individuals who are Han Chinese, the majority national group. It does not help in Tibet or among Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang.

On the material side of the equation, China’s pragmatic authoritarians have certain advantages. They can target and manage the benefits of breakneck growth to ensure that they are relatively widely shared. Like other developed economies, China is experiencing rising inequality between the very richest and the rest. But the rest are never far from their rulers’ minds. The Chinese middle class is continuing to expand at a dramatic pace. In the West, by contrast, it is the middle class, whose wages and standard of living have been squeezed in recent decades, who feel like they are being left behind.

The material benefits of democracy are much more haphazardly distributed. At any given moment, plenty of people feel excluded from them, and the constant changing of course in democratic politics—“We zig and we zag,” as Barack Obama said after Donald Trump’s victory—is a reflection of these persistent frustrations. Democracies, because they give everyone a say, are bound to be fickle. Pragmatic authoritarianism has shown itself more capable of planning for the long-term.

This is revealed not only by the massive recent Chinese investment in infrastructure projects—in transport, in industrial production, in new cities that spring up seemingly from nowhere—but also by the growing concern of China’s rulers with environmental sustainability. China is now the world’s leading greenhouse gas emitter, but it is also at the forefront of attempts to tackle the issue. Only in China would it be possible to double solar capacity in a single year, as happened in 2016.

Western visitors often come back from China astonished by the pace of change and the lack of obstacles in its path. Things appear to get done almost overnight. That is what happens when you don’t have to worry about the democratic dignity of anyone who might stand in the way.

Beijing’s reliance on the continuation of rapid economic growth comes with significant risks. The great long-term strength of modern democracies is precisely their ability to change course when things go wrong. They are flexible. The danger of the pragmatic authoritarian alternative is that when the immediate benefits start to dry up, it may be difficult to find another basis for political legitimacy. Pragmatism may not be enough. Nor, in the end, will national self-assertion, if it increases the dangers of geopolitical instability.

The central political contests of the 20th century were between rival and bitterly opposed worldviews. In the 21st century, the contest is between competing versions of the same fundamental underlying goals. Both sides promise economic growth and widespread prosperity—tangible results in terms of material well-being. But they differ on the question of dignity: The West offers it to individual citizens, while China offers it more diffusely, to the nation as a whole.

The remarkable rise of China shows that this constitutes a genuine alternative. But is it a genuine rival in the West? Might democratic voters be tempted by this offer?

One of the striking features of the last century’s battle of ideologies was that the rivals to liberal democracy always had their vocal supporters within democratic states. Marxism-Leninism had its fellow-travelers right to the bitter end, and such people can still be found in Western politics ( Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, potentially the next prime minister and finance minister of the United Kingdom, have never given up the struggle). By contrast, the Chinese approach has almost no one in the West actively advocating its merits. That does not mean, however, that it is without appeal.

Mr. Trump’s electoral pitch in 2016 came straight out of the pragmatic authoritarian playbook. He promised to deliver collective dignity, at least for the majority group of white Americans: Make America great again! Stop letting other people push us around! At the same time, he promised to use the state much more directly and forcefully to improve the material circumstances of his supporters. He would bring the jobs back, triple the growth rate and protect everyone’s welfare benefits. What Mr. Trump did not offer was much by way of personal dignity: not in his own conduct, not in his treatment of the people around him, and not in his contemptuous attitude toward the basic democratic values of tolerance and respect.

But there are serious limits in the West to the appeal of the Chinese model. First, unlike his counterparts in Beijing, Mr. Trump has shown little capacity to deliver real benefits to the Americans who elected him. He is hamstrung by his own lack of pragmatism and impulse control. He has also been constrained by the checks and balances that democratic politics puts in his way. For now, he looks more like a familiar type of democratic huckster than a harbinger of future authoritarianism in the U.S.: He has over-promised and under-delivered.

More fundamentally, it is still very hard to imagine the citizens of Western democracies acquiescing in the loss of personal dignity that would come with abandoning their rights of democratic dissent. We are far too attached to our continuing capacity to throw the scoundrels out of office when we get the chance. Voters in Europe and the U.S. have been attracted lately by novel-sounding promises to kick over the traces of mainstream democracy, but they have not endorsed anyone threatening to take away their democratic rights. The authoritarian reflex has been limited to threats to take away the rights of others—people who supposedly “don’t belong.”

All of these movements in the West are populist distortions of democracy, not alternatives to it. Democratic authoritarians like the recently re-elected Viktor Orban in Hungary, who describes himself as an “illiberal democrat,” take their inspiration from Vladimir Putin rather than from the Chinese Communist Party. Pragmatism in countries like Hungary and Russia comes a distant second place to scapegoating and elaborate conspiracy theories. Democracy is still talked up, but stripped of its commitment to democratic rights. Elections take place, but the choice is often an empty one.

Chinese politics is far from immune to scapegoating and conspiracy theories. Its leaders pose as strongmen, and Xi Jinping has recently cemented his tight hold on power by being installed as leader for life. But as a viable alternative to democracy, Beijing has something to offer that Moscow and Budapest, to say nothing of today’s Washington, can only gesture toward: Consistent, practical results for the majority.

The ongoing appeal of the Chinese model will vary from place to place. It may just stretch to include the edges of our own politics, though it will struggle to reach its heart. It is more immediately appealing in those parts of Africa and Asia where breakneck economic growth is both a realistic prospect and a pressing need. Rapid economic development, coupled with national self-assertion, has an obvious attraction for states that need to deliver results in a relatively short period of time. In these places, democracy often looks like the riskier bet.

In Western societies, the Chinese alternative is unlikely to capture voters’ imaginations, even as it shows them what they might be missing. Still, the triumph of liberal democracy appears a lot more contingent than it did three decades ago. The temptations to try something different are real, even if the most successful current alternative remains a distant prospect for most voters.

There’s reason to worry about the weaknesses of our democracies. The kind of respect they provide may prove insufficient for 21st-century citizens. The premium that democracy places on personal dignity has traditionally been expressed through extensions of the franchise. Giving people the vote is the best way to let them know that they count. But when almost all adults are able to vote—in theory, if not in practice—citizens inevitably look for fresh ways to secure greater respect.

The rise of identity politics in the West is an indication that the right to take part in elections is not enough anymore. Individuals seek the dignity that comes with being recognized for who they are. They don’t just want to be listened to; they want to be heard. Social networks have provided a new forum through which these demands can be voiced. Democracies are struggling to work out how to meet them.

Elected politicians increasingly tiptoe around the minefield of identity politics, unsure which way to turn, terrified of giving offense, except when they deliberately court it. At the same time, they have grown dependent on technical knowledge—from bankers, scientists, doctors, software engineers—to deliver continuing practical benefits. As citizens find less personal dignity in politics and politicians become less able to manage prosperity, the attraction that has held democracy together for so long will start to dissipate. Respect plus results is a formidable combination. When they come apart, democracy loses its unique advantage.

The Chinese model faces serious challenges, too. There, personal dignity remains the unrealized option, and the untried temptation is to extend rights of political expression and choice. The use by the Chinese state of social networks to manage and monitor its citizens represents a concerted attempt to resist the pull of democratic dignity and to hold fast to the appeal of pragmatic authoritarian control. Just as the strains in the Western trade-off between dignity and material benefits may not be sustainable over time, the same is true of the Chinese version.

That sweet spot, where the two come together, which Mr. Fukuyama identified as the end of history, looks increasingly remote. No one has the monopoly on respect plus results any more.