Can China Have Capitalism Without Democracy?

From Slate: China's Biggest Gamble: Can it have capitalism without democracy? A prediction.
By Henry Blodget

"The key test of China's version of capitalism, of course, will be during the bust that inevitably will follow the current boom (some day). If elections were held today, many in China suggest, the current leaders would win the popular vote. On the whole, thanks to the economy, people feel they have done a good job. During the bust, the pressure for change will increase, with or without the press. "

"If China can survive that inevitable economic crisis without a political uprising, we will probably be able to conclude that a dynamic free-market economy need not, in fact, go hand in hand with democracy."

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China Net Investor: Henry Blodget, the disgraced bubble-era analyst, is now a columnist for the online magazine Slate. He has written recently about business and investment in China: Go East, Young Man Where's My $58 Million, Madame Wu? Caged Hedgehogs, Car Smugglers, and Guanxi The Real "Great Leap Forward" What To Do in Shanghai … The Empty Village How To Solve China's Piracy Problem The Best China Investment Strategy