"Don't Underestimate [China's] Capacity for Positive Change"

Not sure why all these libertarian institutions are leaping to the defense of China lately - of course this may not bode well as it could be a reflection of their concern that the US is about to raise trade barriers to China. From Reason Online:

Robert Ross, a China scholar at Harvard and Boston College, says, "I would put China in the top 10 percent of all the authoritarian states in the world"—comparing it favorably with many East Asian countries (notably North Korea and Burma), most Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia, and most African nations.

While I don't disagree, being lumped in a comparative group with North Korea and Burma isn't exactly what I'd call complimentary - even if you're considered better than the rest. Sucks be to the ones still targeted by the state and all the corruption it entails but credit should be given where credit is due.

Update: From Fistful of Talent on the Olympics lipsyncing scandal:

Sigh... First up, it's sad, but it seems like this kind of stuff hits every culture. Part of me is actually encouraged that China (still a communist state, people) has opened up enough where this thing would surface, be reported on, then have some communist official go on TV and try and defend it. In a sick kind of "entertainment tonight" way, that's progress.

Yes, let's take progress where we can get it. The bizarre thing is that the Chinese government didn't bother to think that maybe after something like this got out it would be worse for their image than if they let a little girl with a great voice sing a song, albeit with crooked teeth.