If the guy said something like liberal democracy promotes innovation that’s total garbage. Japan has functioned as a 1-party state since 1953 as the LDP has been the government for every single year since (except 3 years). And in those three years (non-contiguous) the Japanese bureaucracy worked to undermine the opposition governments and they quickly fell. Furthermore, throughout the second half of the 20th century the government straight up allied itself with the Yakuza to suppress leftist parties, organizations and protests including several assassinations. And yet, it was a hugely innovative economy in that period. Why? Because the state, with the help of American capital and technology, helped foster manufacturing growth with favorable trading conditions and exchange rates. This was of course a politically motivated move to make sure that 1. The Japanese were satisfied and didn’t get any ideas of taking over the Pacific again (that’s America’s job) 2. Because American strategists considered Japan to be a “superdomino”. In other words, if Japan turned Communist, then all of Asia was lost. and 3. To serve as a bulwark against China and the USSR in the Far East/Asia-Pacific as it still is today in the Quad.