China is now ruled by a networked totalitarianism, "Mao 2.0".

When the article says what "we" believed, the author should speak for himself. I never believed that capitalism would by nature bring democracy. Democracy is how the non-rich organize the state to protect them from the power of the rich.

Back when capitalists needed lots of factory workers, that gave the workers one advantage in their fight for democracy. But it did not guarantee victory. And now that advantage is gone.