[TigerLikesRooster]

I think Bo is gone. The laundry list of charges against him is a classic menu for purge, which includes the allegation that Bo and Zhou engaged in sex with 100 women and making video about it(according to Boxun.) However, they do have regional base(especially Bo) and have had substantial number of followers. I wonder if Hu and Xi can sweep out all of them. China is a collection of major regions which are more or less autonomous. You can't clean up an entire region without bloody confrontation. So they could be biding time to strike back.

If economic situation deteriorates and social tensions rise, winds will be blowing in favor of those with the same view as Bo. Xi should get ahead of the curve and become another Bo. This is probably what Hu and Wen try hard to avoid. Time is not on their side, though. There would be backlash against current party elites who monopolized most of China's wealth. They will be dealt with in one way or another. I am not sure Hu and Xi would be up to that task. If they don't, they will be perceived as part of the problem, who getting in the way of so-called "reform."

China is not N.Korea. Central government cannot have strong control over all disparate regions. Only somebody like Mao can do it. There is only so much they can do. If they push too far, they risk civil war.

[tet68]

An unusual situation, I’m glad we have a great
president to deal with it./s

Could it really result in civil strife?
With Bo under arrest, I assume he is, who
would come forward to lead his area against
the government?

I expect before long he will be brought
out to admit his mistakes and then call
on his supporters to support the government.

He was more a maoist type of “reformer” wasn’t he?
He took advantage of the economic policy but
wanted to go back to more strict policy??