I expect the True Socialist Revolution will happen about the same time as the Second Coming of Christ.

Dream on, comrade.

Perhaps a social democratic revolution rather than a socialist one ? Once the fiction of a communist society has been once and for all overthrown and the capitalist elite who run the Communist Party across China have abandoned their pretence at being communists, who knows, maybe it may be a very slippery slope for them. Live in hope.

Rhys, I'm with you there, mate.

I also wonder exactly how much time the writer actually spends in China? Or is this just an academic opinion based on lists, facts, figures, percentages? I would be interested to learn how much time he spends drinking with workers, or talking to people in parks or inviting debate in the Universities? What is his first-hand knowledge of the Chinese mind-set?

If he lives and works and socialises there then perhaps this opinion could be considered a valid commentary. But otherwise he's just another Westerner trying to read an oriental palm.

there are a great many unhappy people in china, but it's difficult for them to organize, the army is well fed and supported by oz materials transmuted into oz dollars, and a great many other foreign currencies as well. as long as the money flows in, there'll be no revolution.

the 'communist' party remembers how to organize a revolution, if nothing else, and is in no immediate danger.

predictions of the imminent rising of the oppressed have passed optimism and moved on to humor. even the trots finally had to wrap a green watermelon rind around themselves to fend off laughter.

but there will be riots, as various groups find they cannot cope with socialism with chinese characteristics. real revolution may happen when things grow quiet, and the money doesn't get spread widely enough. but empires flourish and die with oppressed lower classes, and china at least understands the problem.

Don't be silly. All Chinese, whether poor or rich, are capitalists at heart. Second, only 45 million unemployed is nothing like what was happenning in China between 1840 and 1927, nor are the Japanese invading China, and Chinese women are far less repressed and therefore far more conservative than they were 70 years ago.

From the article

“Revolution in China may not happen tomorrow, but it will happen. And it will not be and cannot just be a demand for political freedom - that demand will slide into calls for economic freedom.”

I could agree with that,

However, what I disagree with is

“Socialism - the working class democratically running society - will be on the agenda. Then all the world will change.”

The first thing is the “working class” do not want to be “working-class”, not if they can get half a chance at becoming “middle-class”.

The only ones who aspire to being “working class” are the indolent, half-witted offspring of the upper-class, who are trying to throw off their personal guilt for inheriting the affluence of their predecessors.

“Socialism” will never ever be on then agenda, for the very reason Lenin gave

“Communism is the goal of socialism”

That the deluded continue to think that socialism will cure or resolve anything surprises me. However, the principles of libertarian democracies, freedom of speech, freedom of association, allow for the deluded to promote their half-witted and flawed ideals.

Libertarian government does not presume to protect the deluded from their delusions