June 2013, Huairou District, Beijing. Bottom left: American capitalist owner of a medical devices manufacturer is held hostage by workers (Top) who got wind of his plan to retrench them. The feisty workers gave the greedy boss his own back as they shone lights and banged on his window to deprive the captured exploiter of sleep. When trade union and Chinese government officials intervened (Bottom right) to negotiate with the business boss, they joined with workers in pressuring the capitalist to accede to workers’ demands, which he was eventually forced to do. Some in the Western Left may delude themselves that China is a “capitalist” state. But for this capitalist exploiter who was taken hostage only to then see Chinese police refuse to do anything to come to his aid, Chinese state media tacitly back the workers and government officials pressure him to accede to workers’ demands, it sure didn’t feel like the state was on his side! Indeed, while being held hostage, Starnes told American media that the most upsetting thing about his plight was his “disappointment” with the Chinese government for doing nothing to help him.