Posted on 10/15/2005 7:37:03 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Bump
All this historical background (the usual "this emperor ruled with an iron fist but was then pushed out...in 1895") is interesting but I don't see what it really has to do with where China is going in the 21st century and the price of tea. "People power"? What's so new about that? The Chinese armed forces are going to determine the future of the country unless other somewhat organized masses of officially Chinese people in various parts of what we call China get their hands on some guns.
There will be multiple factions backed by "guns", vying for power. grass-root uprisings will trigger emergence of such groups, and amplify such conflicts.
That is how Chinese history played out. A dynasty is weakened by wide-spread popular revolts and local warlords emerge. Then warlords harness popular resentment and frustration, enlisting people into their army, fighting against one another in a sustained period of time.
American politicians on both sides will tell you that China will evolve into a peace loving nation.
Nah, they'll most likely be backed by sword props recycled from shootings of old Zhang Yimou films.
Hey, it happened in the USSR....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.