I’m visiting Japan right now, and there’s something I’ve never quite understood about the authoritarian-curious right—people like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens—or the socialist left represented by figures like Hasan Piker.

I’ve always believed America isn’t perfect. It has plenty of flaws, and it has a lot it could learn from other countries. But what confuses me is why, out of all the countries in the world they could point to as examples, they consistently gravitate toward authoritarian states.

If you want to criticize America’s healthcare system, fine. But why not point to Singapore, which delivers excellent healthcare outcomes without embracing communist rule?

If you want to criticize America’s public transportation, go ahead. Anyone who has looked at California’s endless high-speed rail fiasco knows there are lessons to be learned. But why does the conversation always seem to end with admiration for Russia’s streets or China’s subways? Why not point to Japan? Why not South Korea? Why not countries that have built world-class infrastructure while remaining free, prosperous, and aligned with the democratic world?

When Hasan Piker visited Beijing and Tiananmen Square, for example, he could have traveled a little farther south and visited Taiwan. He could have seen a Chinese-speaking society that is wealthy, technologically advanced, democratic, and respectful of civil liberties. He could have seen what prosperity looks like without censorship, political prisoners, or the constant threat of state repression.

Instead, there seems to be a strange fascination with authoritarian success stories. It’s as if some people cannot acknowledge that countries can be clean, safe, efficient, and prosperous unless they also have an overbearing state.

That has always struck me as revealing.