Dissent that costs ...

... and is more than a fashion statement: Ha Jin on The Censor in the Mirror. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

On the whole, the party has succeeded in buying off the intellectuals, who live much better than the people in the lower social strata. By not punishing Jiao and Zhang harshly, the party could avoid incensing the elite class. As long as China’s brains do not join forces with the rebellious masses, the country will be easier to control.