"Communism is a side issue."
I agree with most everything you said, but strongly disagree with the above statement.
In the context of history, communism is just a mere blip on the radar. Have you been to China lately?
In China there is a continuity of a 'type' of political rule, and largely culture for more than 2,000 years.
Communism was an experiment gone bad...and most people in China know that.
At the same time, China has never abandoned the dynastic rule that is the root of the problem.