The Soviet Union's leaders confronted similar dilemmas as they entered the early 1980s. After 60 years, revolutions lose their legitimacy and economic problems become intractable. The group around Gorbachev decided there was no option but acceleration of reform. China's new leadership, set to take over for another 10-year cycle in the autumn, will try to muddle through without much change.
But Bo's challenge over legitimacy remains. If there is no change from the top, it will come from below. A Chinese spring is now very likely sometime in the next 10 years. That much we now know. We just don't know when.
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