[mc32]

I think you're overstating your case. I would say the "228 incident" [1] would counter your assertion that rallying cries (political causes) are anathema or that people don't care about authoritarianism as they might seek over ways to overcome the difficulties presented by such (following your waves in the ocean).

I think the healthy political involvement (even antagonistic approach) to politics in, practically Chinese, Taiwan speaks to how, essentially, Chinese people did "march on Washington" to produce change and shake off authoritarianism and did have a singular genesis with Lin, Jiang-mai and the Tienma Teahouse incident.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Incident

[ttflee]

The political ecology of Taiwan when 228 incident occurred is largely different than the current (smoggy and turbid) one in Mainland China. And in the late 1980s, KMT regime lost its vitality(, but still holds some kinda moral integrity, )as the older generation who fled from the Mainland to Taiwan around late 1940s died out or retired, allowing a transformation of the political session there. However, in Mainland China, the power of the ruling party still tightly grasp the controls and the grassroots are more suppressed and less clearly divided than those in Taiwan at the time.

I'm not trying to generalize that a revolution would not happen here in China but changes in near future is highly unlikely, except that the economy of China would collapse or the ruling party itself would be split by inner struggles.

[mc32]

One of my implied points was that democracy is not 'foreign' and uninteresting to the Chinese, as implied by the OP. Prior to Mao's consolidating power, there were lots of CN intellectuals who were very excited about the prospects for CN and democracy. Song, Jiaoren was one such enthusiast of democracy who was assassinated prior to assuming CN Premiership[1]

It reminded me somewhat of the Japanese justification for protecting domestic ski manufacturers from EU mfgs: "Japanese snow is different".

[1]http://www.economist.com/news/christmas/21568587-shot-killed...