Progressive writer David Sirota has a must-read column on China in his regular space at the San Francisco Chronicle. Sirota highlights the massive economic disparity that exists in China as a result of Communist Party rule. He aptly describes the CCP as “an extreme version of the Republican Party that couples Genghis Khan’s intolerance with Hank Paulson’s authoritarian capitalism.” Sirota spends a great deal of time narrating the parallel between the current Chinese economic structure and America’s Gilded Age. In addition to unimaginable poverty, Sirota sees China in the midst of commiting environmental destruction with global repercussions.

It’s rare that an American political observer has such clear-sighted views of China, including looking past the gilded coastal cities dominating global capitalism and seeing a corrupt and destructive ruling party, massive poverty, and destructive environmental policies. Trust me, Sirota’s piece will not be mistaken for the usual clap-trap we see from Nick Kristof and Tom Friedman. Go give it a read.