From: kludge@panix.com   
      
   Paul S Person   wrote:   
   >   
   >At one point, apparently, there were lawyers who, when their clients   
   >were being attacked in defiance of stated Policy, were able to call   
   >the central authorities and have the locals corrected.   
   >   
   >If that is still the case and disrespect for the central government   
   >grows, how long will it take before the central government is seen as   
   >irrelevant and each province behaves independently? And then how long   
   >until they start fighting each other for resources?   
      
   This has always been the case, and it's one of the downsides of   
   monarchies.  You have to keep on top in order to keep power.  The   
   Chinese are experts at this.  The central government works very hard   
   at not being seen as irrelevant.... much harder than they work at   
   actually being relevant.  So I don't see warlordism coming back any   
   time soon.   
      
   Also, the Chinese have no real sense of history.  They get told about   
   the great history of China but most of what they get told is not really   
   very accurate.  People in China will talk about a 50-year-old building   
   as being "ancient."  There is so little in China actually left from   
   before the Cultural Revolution that it is like a new country in some   
   ways.   
      
   >The only change is that we may be moving into a similar phase in the   
   >USA. The level of propaganda from certain parts of the Federal   
   >Government is really getting out of hand. And their apparent   
   >unwillingness to recognize State's Rights will inevitably have an   
   >effect.   
      
   Factionalism and regionalism is much more a problem in the US than in   
   China.  In China if you promote your local region over the national   
   government, they put you into a camp.  The US has not started doing   
   this, at least not yet.   
   --scott   
      
   --   
   "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)