The Real Lesson to Be Taken from Those 'Unlucky' Russians

Before coming to power, members of the Chinese Communist Party had a famous slogan about regarding the Russians as mentors. While the Sino-Russian relationship was enjoying its honeymoon before the showdown in the 1950s and 1960s, many liked to say that "today's Soviet Union is tomorrow's China." But today, in order to bring the general public into line, some in the party make use of the collapse of the Soviet Union as a horror story.