But scholars such as Larry Diamond and Minxin Pei have noted that dictatorships tend to have a roughly 70-year lifespan. Especially when the regime experiences some kind of blunt trauma, either in the form of a foreign-policy fiasco, an economic shock, or a moral outrage. A policy of hoping the protesters discredit themselves or simply run out of steam shows no sign of working. In China’s looming crisis, the human condition shines through. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Source: International New York Times October 03, 2019 09:56 UTC