Remember the thousands of monks that went apeshit in Lhasa a short while back and the hardcore Chinese police on monk ass beatings that followed? I’ve addressed the political/cultural/economic intricacies of Tibet as a state here before, go have a read if you want to learn the actual facts behind this mess (summary: it’s not as simple as the Beastie Boys and millions of stoned college students seem to think. How about that! And who knew the Beastie Boys weren’t leading world authorities on Tibetan history and culture? Doesn’t that come with an NYU degree?).

But while these monks rot—or more likely get tortured—in Chinese jails, a whirlwind of press coverage of the latest from China, the mega earthquake, has focused on China’s massive sea change with regards to how the government is treating, covering, and reacting to the event. In the past, China strived to conceal these disasters and didn’t provide much info to the outside world—that would show weakness, not something the hard as nails, indomitable Chinese are known for.

Post Tibet revolt/Olympic torch/wheelchaired woman being tipped over, China knew it had a PR problem the size of Mongolia on its hands. But it has taken this earthquake and made lemonade from the rubble with a bright, shiny human interest story that shines a beacon on the Chinese government in a different light—as a caring entity interested in the welfare of its citizens and open enough to share its problems with the world (finally).

The past week, China has been all about showing the world how compassionate and caring the Chinese government is towards its citizens. The US press has eaten up every man/woman/child pulled from the rubble and celebrated it as a miracle. I caught a brief snippet on NPR the other day about a man being pulled out of the rubble after 100 hours of being buried. A miracle!

Or maybe the Chinese government fabricated that particular event—you know, stuck the dude in the rubble and had the Chinese military dig him out. Why? Great fuckin story, wouldn’t you say?

While this reads like a ruse, China may have inadvertently opened a door it won’t be able to shut. Ultimately, a more free and open exchange of information with the outside world will cause change in China. That and economic exegencies. When the Chinese people have enough access to information, when the world has enough access to information about them and when the Chinese government sees that unbridled capitalism yields a population that’s forced to take care of itself in the stead of a welfare state, then change will come to China and Mao will be buried for good.

Until then, like Mike Tyson’s Mao tattoo, the communist ethos will keep on keeping on—but not for long.