Opinion on Tienanmen Square

The interview with Lee Kwan Yew didn't change my views on Deng's method of handling the protests at Tienanmen Square. However, it did make me think of whether or not there was a better solution in the long term. If the students did overtake the government, more lives would have been lost in the long run with more revolution and weak leadership. The harsh crackdown on the Square may have been a necessary evil, one that looks bad in textbooks, but in reality was the only possible option. China is now in a strong position of success, both economically and politically, so the Deng government was very effective. Tienanmen Square was an unfortunate event, but was justified in the long run because some form of peace was found and a stable country was able to rise from the ashes.