John Bryan Starr examines changes in China's politics, military history, society, culture and human rights policy. He sticks closely to the facts, avoiding theoretical interpretations that are not tethered to evidence. He identifies the fundamental problems confronting China today and then asks whether the Chinese political system is up to the task of resolving them. By the time he has finished reviewing the problems of environmental degradation, inadequate infrastructure, population growth, failed state-owned enterprises, underfinanced education and the rise in both rural and urban discontent he has no alternative but to reach a cautiously pessimistic position: that the most likely prospect for China is an eventual collapse of the party-state system, a development that he believes could be followed by the People's Liberation Army taking on a semi-praetorian role.