[Paloma_55]

Imagine if another Tienemen Square were to take place DURING the 2008 olympics?

What would the government do?

Seems like a prime opportunity for the people of China to make a big deal about the fact they are slaves. Slave Riot!

[Semper Paratus]

Under the current regime, given the enormous rise of the economy, the scale of corruption has to be staggering.

[satchmodog9]

A lot of wishful thinking here. I hope he's right, but I doubt he is. The Chicoms have an economy, unlike the Soviets. This should keep them afloat for a while. Plus, we seem to enjoy funding and arming them.

[WilliamofCarmichael]

We are hoping to make China a more responsible power. So far, all we have done is make it a more powerful one. We may not be creating the next Soviet Union, but we are nonetheless enabling a country that now considers us a foe.

Thank you, "free traders."

The Chinese engage in bad behavior. We reward them. So they continue their irresponsible conduct. We reward them still more.

That's why Lenin called Western businessmen "useful idiots."

Well. let's see. In the special economic zones there are some 300 million many of whom are the "haves." That leaves about 800 million outside of the zones almost all of whom are the "have nots." Who will win? Many among the "haves" are Party members, I bet they will try to use the 800 million against the dangerous idea of democracy.

[joesnuffy]

They will need a large threat from the outside to galvanize
the people to back who ever controls their military...

A big 'righteous' seeming war is always good for keeping thugs in power and garnering them even more...



imo

[Paul Ross]

BUMP!

In many ways Gordon Chang is actually admitting via some caveats within the heart of the interview... that some of his conclusions and the title is more wish than probability.

Particularly when he more or less tracks with the late Dr. Constantine Menges, and concurs that we are actually hindering the democratic revolution against the Chinese Communist Party:

"Today, we overlook, ignore, and sugarcoat. The risk for us is that the Chinese will bring down the current American-led international system long before China would otherwise become a responsible power. We are playing an enormously dangerous game, and we seldom talk about the risks.

Unfortunately, positive change will not come as fast as it should, in part because we have created a set of perverse incentives. The Chinese engage in bad behavior. We reward them. So they continue their irresponsible conduct. We reward them still more. In these circumstances, why would they ever change?

So is our policy toward China succeeding? Not yet. Will it succeed? Yes, in the long term. But there may be no long term." [Emphasis added]

He can be excused for being guardedly optimistic, but he himself is recognizing he could be horribly wrong...

Hence, for national defense planning we can't be banking on his wishful thinking.

The very same wishful thinking that has been holding sway since George H.W. Bush was President Reagan's point man for China.

I think he understates also the import of the degree of 'radicalism' still promulgated by China...if not so much overtly, then covertly via their secretive diplomacy with any and all comers who have issues with the U.S.: Russians, Venezuelans, Iranians, Cubans, Brazil, Bolivia, Mexico, Panama and of course North Korea.

They are clearly pushing towards some sort of global, strategic coordinated action against the U.S....probably encompassing, military, and economic.

And the most dangerous times are always when tyrants fear they are losing control. They will use their full power to try and keep it.

Furthermore, even if the CCP were eventually ousted, (which remains to be seen) we still have much reason to be alarmed about the racist nationalism they have been orchestrating to cement their hold on national popularity. this could easily morph into an equally, if not more dangerous version of Sino-Nazism.

[Fishing-guy]

I give the Chinese communist's fascist state 19 more years. When you see KMT setting up offices on mainland, then the end is near for the fascists.

[Paul_Denton]

Very interesting article.

[neutrino]

The risk for us is that the Chinese will bring down the current American-led international system long before China would otherwise become a responsible power.

If it ends outsourcing...if it gives me an opportunity to sneer at free traitors everywhere and say, with my last breath of life, "I told you so." then it will be worth it.

I have no children - but many of the free traitors do. And those children will pay the price.

Just getting a little start on the "I told you so."

[wagglebee]

BTTT!

[Junior_G]

What will our world look like when dozens of hostile and unstable regimes can trigger Armageddon? Perhaps things could turn out okay, but it is more likely that we will transition to a world that is unfamiliar to us, perhaps the most dangerous world imaginable. An international system that cannot defend its most vital interests against one of its weakest members cannot last. So this could be where the world writes its history for the next hundred years.

Ah, now I can go to sleep depressed.

[houeto]

Care to chime in on this thread?