How come China can respond effectively to crises, but we can't?

Why have most western governments not responded appropriately to the Coronavirus crisis, as China, and some other countries have?

Surely largely it is because of a continued, blind adherence to the neoliberal 'religion' - a reluctance to acknowledge that the market is not the answer; that big state intervention is needed, to contain the virus, to allocate resources as needed, to provide welfare for those who will need to self-isolate, (millions of whom are already struggling to survive, thanks to decades of living under this ideology), etc.

Following decades of neoliberalism being imposed by an elite few over western countries - and over much of the rest of the world - governments have become increasingly powerless and corrupt, with those elites/private corporations, taking over, ransacking the public sector, siphoning wealth from the many to the few. So not only is there a reluctance, there is also now, thanks to a shrunken state, an inability, to respond appropriately.

Everything is about quick profit. There is a focus on short term thinking. Today's economy is all that matters. The action necessary to handle this virus, will affect short term profits, and thus, the economy - so it is to be avoided. Obviously, in the long term, major action now and a loss in short term profit and growth, would be a much better option for the economy! There is such a destructive irrationality here. Neoliberalism is both profoundly destructive, and profoundly stupid.

A system that is run for profit, is obviously only going to do that which is profitable, and preparing for a crisis like a pandemic, is not profitable.

Also, are people in China better informed, and is this a factor? In the west, our corporate media system, monopolized in the hands of the elite few billionaire capitalists, makes it pretty difficult for anyone to know what is going on - with the economy, with geopolitics, with science, etc. If you rely on that media system to inform you about the world, chances are you'll be misinformed about most big issues; it has a massive affect on public opinion, and on government policy.

An informed populace is surely far more likely to be united and willing to go along with what authorities are advising.

Under neoliberalism - our corrupt media system, our corrupt governments, our decades of selfish individualism, have quite reasonably led to a high level of distrust in our authorities, and a high level of division. Whereas in China, where poverty has recently been reduced rapidly; where revolutionary spirit still lives on; where the government seems to govern in the interests of the people (huge reduction in poverty, etc), the population is far more capable of coming together and collectively fighting a crises like this.

I don’t like many things about China’s system - most socialists in the west are calling for more direct democracy, not less, and I'm no fan of globalization in general. But their achievements, in rapidly reducing poverty, investing in green tech, embarking on a peaceful foreign policy, and now in fighting and almost defeating the Coronavirus, surely need to be recognised.

Is this what can be achieved with a united populace? With a system that rewards and empowers those who serve the common good, rather than those who are the most ruthless and greedy? With a government that is in control of things, rather than corporations?

I think the insanity of the western system is demonstrated most clearly by the fact that even in a time of global crisis, economic sanctions against non-compliant states - implemented to advance imperialist interests - remain, even when they are directly hindering those countries' ability to fight the crisis. The destructive nature of neoliberal capitalism - a system that empowers an elite few and requires perpetual growth and profit, putting that before the interests of people and planet - is exposed now more than ever.