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It is Hong Kong’s good fortune to possess, in addition to its corporatist elite, a vibrant civil society, the rule of law, and a free press; China has no such safety valves for the discontent of its people, no resilience in its politics. The echo chamber of today’s Chinese regime--with its slogans and show trials, its claims of expertise and openness, its pretense of oversight and accountability--cannot do the work of pluralist democracy. As James Madison knew, an extended republic, even a “people’s” republic, requires institutional checks and balances if it is not to devolve into a tyranny--or to remain one.
"My Short March Through China," by Gary Rosen, Commentary, December 2007
November 29, 2007 02:27 PM Caught Our Eye
