Professor Frank Dikotter, Hong Kong-based, "shared a link" to this article in Time magazine http://time.com/3453140/hong-kong-protests-china-one-autocracy/ titled:
"Xi Jinping Could Be China's Last Communist Ruler."
That is utterly preposterous. I was all set to blame it on Time's headline writers but then the author, Larry Diamond, repeated it in the last paragraph of his article. It is irresponsible to write that something so momentous "could" occur. It is meaningless as anything is possible, that is "could" occur. It's possible I will sprout wings and fly; it's possible Larry Diamond could succeed Xi Jinping as China's first, presumably democratic, ruler. It is so meaningless that lawyers are not even permitted to ask a "could" question in court. Objection, speculation. Sustained. It gives Mr. Diamond the artful dodge of "I didn't say it WOULD happen or was likely to happen, I said it 'could' happen." Snore.
Larry Diamond is the Director of Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. I am Director of Public Occurrences. I say that Xi Jinping will not be the last communist ruler of China. Larry, what do you say will occur?
"Xi Jinping Could Be China's Last Communist Ruler."
That is utterly preposterous. I was all set to blame it on Time's headline writers but then the author, Larry Diamond, repeated it in the last paragraph of his article. It is irresponsible to write that something so momentous "could" occur. It is meaningless as anything is possible, that is "could" occur. It's possible I will sprout wings and fly; it's possible Larry Diamond could succeed Xi Jinping as China's first, presumably democratic, ruler. It is so meaningless that lawyers are not even permitted to ask a "could" question in court. Objection, speculation. Sustained. It gives Mr. Diamond the artful dodge of "I didn't say it WOULD happen or was likely to happen, I said it 'could' happen." Snore.
Larry Diamond is the Director of Stanford University's Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law. I am Director of Public Occurrences. I say that Xi Jinping will not be the last communist ruler of China. Larry, what do you say will occur?
