A Silver Lining

We Republicans failed to capture the White House, but our democracy continues to capture hearts and minds. Two comments from the Chinese blogosphere:

From the black civil rights movement of the 60s in the 20th century to Obama being elected the first black present in the 21st century, to today, where Obama has been reelected for a second term, Americans have used only 50 years of time. On this kind of incredible ability to correct/change its society, who can still say that capitalism is decadent and degenerate? With one foot in its grave? Instead, all of those people who have said capitalism is dying have one by one passed away in history like smoke!

And

Why do Chinese people pay attention to the United States election? It’s because of media hype, because of market attention, but at the bottom of their hearts there is also a political longing. In the face of the wave of democracy, one country cannot integrate in the world economically, and stands apart from the world system politically. With only those few friends in the entire world, whether it be dying Syria or unreliable North Korea or Castro, who often faints during his speeches.

I'm happy for other reasons too. The growing consensus is China will become a democracy in the next ten or fifteen years. This actually worries me. This is also the sense I get from talking with Party members. My undergraduate students are more pessimistic.