Beijing and the Tiananmen Teapot

I've been turning the whole Chinese anti-Japan protest thing over in my mind, and the conclusion that seems to answer all the questions is that it's social engineering by Beijing.

Having their sticky fingers all over the heart and mind of the Chinese people s they do, they must see that the People's Frustration Meter is topping the scale. The last thing Beijing wants is Beirut, so they thought it might work to give the Chinese people an outlet to relieve the pressure. Let them blow off some steam, they proposed, before things reach the Tiananmen Teapot level and start shrieking.

As Solomon so aptly put it, there is nothing new under the sun. Others have reached the same conclusion, notably, via Instapundit, Ian Hamet, blogging from Shanghai:

The email [from the demonstration organizer] I heard about and the numbers of people involved both tell me that this was organized at a high level. I’m convinced someone in Beijing orchestrated this, even as the demonstration was declared “illegal” yesterday. The police didn’t try to quell the crowd at all, weren’t even in riot gear. They just steered people away from the (very expensive) buildings in People’s Square.

Whoever he is, this Machiavel, he’s stirred up one hell of a hornets’ nest. I sincerely hope that he’s frightened by how angry it is; if not, there’s even more trouble on the horizon.

Here's the link to the now-translated email from the demonstration organizer (scroll down). All its admonitions to behave oneself and respect the police supports the thesis that these demonstrations are not spontaneous, but government-organized. It's just a small step to the obvious conclusion that it's all about Beirut-avoidance.

See also:
China-Japan Demons At Play
Chinese Snuff Out Internet Dissent
How Will Chinese Stop the Riots?