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ANALYSIS
In times of uncertainty, "we cross the river by feeling out the stones with our feet. ''
-aphorism of Deng Xiaoping, China's paramount leader from 1978 to 1994
The collapse of communism in the late 20th century illustrates two ways revolutions can unfold. In Europe, the system came down suddenly and dramatically, driven by massive popular uprisings and the sudden construction of a new political order. In China, the transition has been more subtle and piecemeal, leaving the old apparatus largely intact, but the result is similar. Marxism as the basis of social life is basically dead and buried, replaced by a frenzy of buying and selling.
The contrast comes to mind in light of the popular tendency these days to wonder when Pope Francis' revolution is going to begin - when the dazzling new tone set by this pope will be matched by equally dramatic changes in structures and policies. (The recent arrival of the new secretary of state, Italian Archbishop Pietro Parolin, after recovering from a surgery, has set off another bout of speculation.) The...