Every night on the news people who are protesting in the streets of Arabia are called pro-Democracy. Maybe they are. But if you define Democracy at its core as a social and cultural commitment to play by the rules about how power is to be exchanged, well then, maybe these rioters are only looking for a a quick fix to a lousy life. Nothing wrong with that kind of wish, but it doesn’t have anything to do with even a bare capacity to practice Democracy. In China, where there is a widely civilized and educated population, Democracy would appear to have a pretty good chance. The protesters call their mission The Jasmine Revolution. Nice name. But as is usually the case in China, word searches are carefully monitored and this week, all you get for a “Jasmine” search is a bounce back.
