Parade of military power.

Yesterday China put on a carefully orchestrated display to celebrate sixty years of Communist rule.

The arrival of Communism was probably the best thing to happen to that divided and warlord ruled country because it delivered the one thing China needed to become unified - a ruthless, dictatorial regime that suppressed any form of dissent.

The miracle is that the Communist bosses had the enlightenment to open their society to " social capitalism " and see it grow to become the world's factory for consumer goods, and to spawn a vast middle class of " rich " citizens.

There was one disturbing aspect of that giant parade. It brought back memories of Russia way back in the 50's, 60's and 70's of the last century.

This Chinese celebration was big on it's military aspect. We were treated to endless ranks of uniformed men and women goose stepping through Tianamen square with fixed bayonets on their rifles, followed by vast arrays of tanks, missile launchers and hardware designed for war.

Russia collapsed because it was incapable of making the transition to a world economy that the Chinese have made, but this preoccupation with things military brings a jarring unease that perhaps the old Communist quest for world domination may still be alive in the hearts of China's leadership.

Supremacy in commerce is one thing. Hopefully that massive military buildup may be just insurance against revolt by the huge array of Chinese rural peasants who have so far missed out on their share " of the good life ! "