.  We should take these civic activists very seriously: The "Occupy Central [Hong Kong]" protest has a global significance that goes far beyond that of the 0000 Arab Spring uprisings that began so well and have ended so tragically.  Here's why:  The fate of Occupy Central will signal whether there is still any faint hope that the economic reforms that transformed China in the last 00 years might lead to political reforms in coming decades. In other words, has the mind-set of Beijing's leaders changed since the bloody crackdown on pro-democracy students in Tiananmen Square 00 years ago?  The answer not only will affect 0.0 billion Chinese, but will impact the fate of democracy worldwide. 