Depressions begat revolutions. Now it ain’t so simple as that, but there is a big enough correlation here that every time there is a economic downturn, a nation’s leaders should be looking over their shoulder in concern. If they are a democratic government, it probably means they will now have time to write their memoirs. If they are a dictatorship, they could end up dangling from a meat-hook.
The seminal quantitative work on this subject was two separate studies done in the 1960s by Ted Gurr and the couple Ivo and Rosilind Feierabend. Ted Gurr’s work was summarized in his book Why Men Revolt, while the Feierhabend’s never issued out a book (which is a shame as their work was as significant). There has not been much of significance done since then (which I think is fairly bizarre actually… it is not like revolutions are a dead subject). We have blogged about this before.
So Variable 3 is “How is the economy of China doing?.” As long as the China economy is growing and thriving over the next 20 years, then this only increases the danger to Taiwan. On the other hand, there are lots of reasons to doubt that their economy will continue to thrive over the next 20 years. If the economy is not growing, then this fourth variable comes into play: Is there a problem with internal turmoil and unrest in China? This affects the odds that China will decide the invade Taiwan in five ways:
- The reduced economic growth probably reduces their “defense” budget.
- If there is unrest or political turmoil, it probably distracts the government to worry about internal issues, vice invading their neighbors (although it some cases, it can actually do the reverse).
- It may result in a leadership change:
- This leadership could be even more internally absorbed.
- This leadership could be even more nationalistic.
- This government could be unstable.
- It may result in a change of the form of government:
- Communism collapses.
- It becomes a democracy
- It becomes a dictatorship.
- The new government could be unstable
- Central government may collapse entirely.
- Communism is reinforced (sort of another cultural revolution)
- Communism is de-stabilized, but returns back in control.
- Communism collapses.
- It may result in no government at all (more on this later).
So, what are the odds that China will have a economic slow-down in the next 20 years? Is it 25%, is it 50%, is there no chance at all?Â
If there is an economic slowdown, what is the chance of political turmoil, and then what is the extent, nature and virulence of this political turmoil? Is it a bunch children of “princelings” that can be run over with tanks, or is something more broadly based.
The problem with revolutions, is that once they start, they gets pretty hard to predict where they are going to go. For example, when the Shah of Iran abdicated in 1979, much his vocal opposition came from the left, often college students. The country ended up being taken over by Ayatollahs. The Russian revolution started in 1917 with the moderately liberal Cadet Party and Alexander Kerensky running the country in a somewhat democratic manner and ended up with Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in charge. The Russian revolution of 1991 ended up with Boris Yeltsin in charge of a developing democracy and ended up with Vladimir Putin in charge. The Arab Spring of 2010-2012 resulted in demonstrations and revolts in 17 or so different countries. In four of those countries the governments were overthrown (Tunisia, Libya, Egypt and Yemen). Only one ended up with a democratic government in its aftermath.Â
And then there is always the possibility that China could end up with no central controlling government at all. This is not all that far-fetched. China has spent almost of much of its history broken up into smaller states as it has spend unified as a single state. There is no strong reason to assume that over the next decades that China will remain unified. There is no history that suggests such a pattern. Â
Modern countries do break up. Yugoslavia comes to mind. There are significant independence movements in Catalonia (Barcelona) and Scotland. So the image of China as a dominating unified state may not be the image moving forward.
Anyhow, I suspect we are looking at maybe a 50% chance of a major economic slowdown in the next 20 years (this is just a wild guess, I have no idea what the odds of such an event are). If there is an economic slowdown, then I am guessing maybe a 50% change of unrest and turmoil. So….there is no guarantee that China will be in a position or place to even consider invading Taiwan in the next 20 years. Maybe a 50% chance that this is the case.
Related blog posts:
Why Men Rebel? | Mystics & Statistics (dupuyinstitute.org)
Why Are We Still Wondering Why Men (And Women) Rebel? | Mystics & Statistics (dupuyinstitute.org)
Quote from America’s Modern Wars | Mystics & Statistics (dupuyinstitute.org)
Ted Gurr Has Passed Away | Mystics & Statistics (dupuyinstitute.org)
For the next 20 years, my guess is that the Underground Church spreads news of the Prince of Peace westward from China rather than that the People’s Liberation Army launches war on Taiwan to the east or joins in a war on Israel to the west. However, circa 2030 is a point in time that could be surprisingly pivotal — still, ceteris paribus, my guess is that the PRC doesn’t invade Taiwan during the next 20 years (as long as the USA doesn’t appear to be offering Taiwan on a silver platter).
Here’s the perspective of Eugene Bach*:
For years, China’s population size, economic growth, and thirst for military power have taken center stage by those who study biblical prophecy. Most end-time experts have seen the “Red Dragon” as an aggressor to Israel. In Revelation 16 and 19, John’s mention of the armies involved in the final battle marking the end of the world could well depict China’s army today.
However, a different kind of army is also rising in China, and it is quickly approaching two hundred million people. This army is for Christ, not against Him. It is a host of Christians from the Chinese underground house church who are fighting a battle against principalities and powers and spreading the gospel in unprecedented ways under intense persecution.
These Christians are motivated by a powerful vision called “Back to Jerusalem.” The Chinese church is quietly working to complete the Great Commission by bringing the gospel to unreached peoples in China’s eastern provinces and to all the countries between the border of China and the city of Jerusalem.
*Eugene Bach is a pseudonym for a member of the Chinese underground church who does not wish to be identified. He was trained in U.S. military special operations and served two tours in the Persian Gulf and Asia–Pacific region, serving primarily as a member of a rapid response team focusing on targeted threat elimination, counterterrorism, and security. He has been working with the underground church in China for about twenty years, helping them to establish forward mission bases in closed countries around the world, including Iraq and Syria. Eugene leads the Chinese mission movement called Back to Jerusalem, which provides essential support for Chinese missionaries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
I have never heard of this. I don’t mean to be rude but I have to ask “Is this for real?”
A US special operations agent is developing a vast underground Christianity movement to overthrow the CCP? Is that what you are saying?
OK I have done a couple of Internet searches and he does exist and is part of the underground church (according to the Internet sources) and seems to be subverting the CCP. It still sounds a bit far fetched, but maybe that is because I had not heard anything about this before.
No, Clinton. the “Back to Jerusalem” movement isn’t a subversion of the CCP. It’s an outreach to individuals in western China and to individuals of any ethnicity within the countries between China and Israel.
Whether members of the CCP see it as subversive is a different matter. Some very few members of the CCP (and certainly some members of the industrial/commercial elite) might have accepted Jesus (but have kept it “underground” for obvious reasons). As has often been the case among ruling elites, there is appreciation for the work ethic and morality exhibited by followers of Jesus while there is suspicion about anyone following someone or something other than the ruling elites.
As for the size of the underground church. 65 million to 80 million might be the range (maybe 6% of the population, with 6% also being the size of the Chinese Communist Party and thus within a range that could cause concern to the CCP): https://herald-review.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/growth-of-underground-churches-worrisome-for-china-s-leaders/article_7e85d7c8-207b-5a34-b4a5-d0a289fc6e55.html
OpenDoors thinks that there is 97 million believers in China: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/stories/on-chinas-70th-anniversary-is-the-worlds-largest-church-preparing-to-go-underground-again/
The Los Angeles Times also reports the 6% share of the population: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-12-25/china-church-sinicization
The Diplomat, using a rather broad definition of Christian, predicts 247 million Christians by 2030: https://thediplomat.com/2017/09/chinas-thriving-underground-churches-in-danger/
Clinton, “Eugene Bach” isn’t developing the underground church or the outreach mission in question — he’s facilitating some of the logistics. The church and the movement are inspired and led by Chinese Christians. “Spooks” sometimes want to appear to be more important than they really are (while good spooks don’t appear at all : – )
Oh, the real spook behind the church and the movement is The Holy Ghost. (I didn’t want to resist using that pun : – )
How effective is this subversion by the underground church? How widespread is the underground church?
It’s not subversive, but is s widespread as the CCP.
Thanks for all that information. It was all new to me. I did know there is an underground Christian movement, but I was not aware of the rest.