China is less than a lifetime away from its last civil war. I can see how that would make people fearful and cautious. Allowing populism to run a muck could le

China is less than a lifetime away from its last civil war. I can see how that would make people fearful and cautious. Allowing populism to run a muck could lead to revolution, especially in a young and poor nation like China. Contrary to the romantic ideal of revolution we have in the West, in practice it is a bloody, miserable, and violent thing. Call me a fascist, but I can understand the Chinese authorities' attempts to short-circuit anti-government movements. I can also understand popular support for such actions, given that the current Chinese government is more competent than all but a handful on this planet. Also - I'm just trying to understand and explore their side here. I do enjoy living in a free society where I can support market anarchism and make frequent anti-government comments. I'm just not so much of an idealist to believe that American-style democracy is optimal for all places, times, and situations. For example, I can understand why the Germans chose to ban Nazi publications in the wake of World War II, free speech be damned.