China is in a quandary. Uncowed Hong Kong protesters are forcing Beijing to confront its version of the question plaguing global politics: how much discontent can be stifled while still reaping the benefits of liberalized global economy? It is the one-party state version of a similar game being played in western democracies. Economic-political elites are everywhere attempting a delicate maneuver: maintain free flow of financial capital that is the source of their wealth and privilege, while  diluting and diverting expressions of popular discord produced by the resulting gross inequalities of wealth. In each location the dynamics are distinct; everywhere the official responses refuse to face the root of the problem