Does the recent crisis in Indonesia indicate that democratizing a nation too rapidly will lead to disorder? The crux of the issue involves the effectiveness and limitations of authoritarian and military control that guarantee stability.

The Soviet Union enjoyed stability, at least on the surface, under Josef Stalin. After its collapse, one form of chaos after another has hit Russia, as exemplified by Chechnya's move to gain independence. Nor do I completely disagree with the view that China would have fallen into chaos if the Beijing government had refrained from sending tanks to quell prodemocracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in 89 and instead moved toward democracy. China is undergoing political change, but it is too early to tell whether these changes will create stability or confusion.

The larger a country and the more diverse its ethnic composition, the more difficult it is to achieve a smooth transition from rule by force to democracy.