Democracy Blooms in China

Yes... it is like the Let A Hundred Flowers Bloom campaign. Well... sort of.

Some anonymous people inside China are calling for a "Jasmine Revolution" and of course China's leaders, being upstanding democrats and very solicitous of the well-being of their people, responded positively.

Wait a second... maybe not. Here's a report in the NY Times:

Skittish domestic security officials responded with a mass show of force across China on Sunday after anonymous calls for protesters to stage a Chinese “Jasmine Revolution” went out over social media and microblogging outlets.

Although there were no reports of large demonstrations, the outsize government response highlighted China’s nervousness at a time of spreading unrest in the Middle East aimed at overthrowing authoritarian governments.

The words “Jasmine Revolution,” borrowed from the successful Tunisian revolt, were blocked on sites similar to Twitter and on Internet search engines, while cellphone users were unable to send out text messages to multiple recipients. A heavy police presence was reported in several Chinese cities.

In recent days, more than a dozen lawyers and rights activists have been rounded up, and more than 80 dissidents have reportedly been placed under varying forms of house arrest. At least two lawyers are still missing, family members and human rights advocates said Sunday.

Funny... tyrants all work from the same playbook. Dress up as democrats, proclaim themselves as the "father of their people", and strut around proclaiming how their state requires order, discipline, security, but never messy demonstrations in the streets which are always organized by dangerous "outside" influences aimed at undermining the felicitous internal harmony managed by the regime.

I would really, really, really like to see real democracy come to China. I've been very happy to see the economic progress, but at some point the slaves in chains at the oars rowing the ship of state need to be released to live the lives they want. The solicitudes of the Communist Party are no longer needed. The people need to stand on their own two feet.