[GingisK]

China has risen and fallen many times in the last seven thousand years. Dynasty-swapping was never an easy thing. Also, the Chinese have a different mind-set to being governed than Western cultures. Their harsh governments tended to cull the herd of revolutionaries leaving more subservience behind.

Don't get me wrong. The Chinese people can and do get pissed off in mass from time to time.

[Bonemaker]

Good observation. All empires tend to fall sooner or later but the countries remain. In recent history the likes of Russia, Germany, and Japan have been thoroughly devastated but arose from the ashes.

[Tell It Right]

True that. An argument could be made that China is currently in a "fallen" state relative to the land control they had relatively recently. They currently seem to operate on wounded pride when looking back at what they call their "century of humiliation" and take on a "never again" type attitude.

Contrast that with the U.S. and our leaders' "never again" attitude that's directed over our past when we were "too" strong.