China’s top two obsessions — loyalty and Party

My article China’s top two obsessions — loyalty and Party appeared in the DNA yesterday.

In recent times, China has had two obsessions: stability and loyalty to the Party. China watchers know that when Beijing’s State machinery starts hammering a certain issue on the masses, it usually means that the leadership has a serious predicament.
Take the example of general Guo Boxiong, Politburo member and
vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission (CMC); he recently reiterated that the armed forces “must resolutely follow the Party’s command and remain absolutely loyal and reliable”...


To read click here...

Will Propaganda save China?

Li Changchun is a powerful man; he is no. 5 in the Standing Committee of the Politburo of CCP. 
One of his objectives is to 're-popularize Chinese-style Marxism'.
As Chairman of the CPC Central Guidance Commission for Building Spiritual Civilization, Li is also de facto responsible for China's propaganda machinery and the Party's media relations. 
His idea is to “enhance public faith in the country’s political theory amid social conflict and to answer the public’s doubts, reach a consensus and generate strength”.
He has little chance to succeed.
Take one example, you will understand why.
The city of Shifang, in Sichuan Province recently witnessed serious protests. The reason? The building of a heavy-metals refinery in town. It began by a crowd assembling outside the gates of a municipal government building, but soon the events turned soured. The New York Times reported:

Things then turned bloody as local security officials began muscling up on the crowds. In the end, there were arrests, tear gas, stun grenades, riot police, guns, batons, blood.

Reuters quoted a microblogger: "The government has repeatedly squandered the people’s patience. It is time for us to be independent.”
The New York Times added:

The police warned that anyone using the Internet, cellphones or text messages to spread news about the protest would be 'severely' punished. But there was a flood of photos and microblog posts, plus some video, and a widely circulated piece from Han Han, perhaps China’s most famous blogger.

The Chinese Global Times had to acknowledge that thousands local people,  strongly against the project, had come down in protest in the streets. The government newspaper added that "projects involving environmental concerns are always sensitive topics in people’s eyes around the world.”
More interesting, the Huanqiu, the Chinese language counterpart of the Global Times, commented: "such student actions should not be encouraged, particularly regarding social unrest and political conflict."
According to Chinascope website, the Huanqiu criticized "the interpretation of the government’s decision to shut-down the smelter as a victory for the common people. Such a stretched interpretation is merely the wishful thinking of some people and not a reality in Shifang.” 
The Huanqiu commentary warned local and higher governments that they should not be fooled by such political fantasies and should not divert their focus from a proper aftermath of reflection and remedial action to vigilance for this 'revolutionary' trend. 
Revolutionary or not, revamping Marxist thinking and repackaging it for popular consumption is an impossible task. At the age of Internet, social networks and microblogs, it is difficult to fool people and stop them expressing their genuine grievances.
Deng Xiaoping always advised to 'Seek truth from facts'. This was part of his Socialism with Chinese characteristics, to be applied at that time, to economic reforms.
The Chinese people have learned from his words. 
Propaganda is just not enough. Li Changchun should have discovered this long ago.
As this article of the China Brief, the author says: "The CCP remains central to so much that some underlying justification is still required. If socialism without Chinese characteristics or Chinese-style Marxism are insufficient, disregarded or up for challenge, then the current government could find itself facing more serious problems."
It is certainly not in bluffing people that problems like corruption or pollution will be solved. Propaganda or not.

Re-Popularizing Marxism: Li Changchun’s contribution to reform
Peter Mattis
China Brief
Volume: 12 Issue: 13
July 6, 2012

On the eve of the 91st anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), propaganda czar Li Changchun gave a speech to a political theories seminar emphasizing the need to re-popularize Chinese-style Marxism. Li, a Politburo Standing Committee member, argued the task is necessary to “enhance public faith in the country’s political theory amid social conflict” and “to answer the public’s doubts, reach a consensus and generate strength” (Xinhua, June 29). Li’s speech is part of a continuing series of exhortations to revamp Marxist thinking and repackage it for popular consumption. Even though it is difficult to believe an increasingly pluralistic and information-saturated Chinese society will renew its faith in CCP ideology, the effort is nonetheless important for the CCP to maintain power on its own terms.
Li’s speech is an implicit admission that the latest campaign starring Lei Feng, a Mao Zedong-era propaganda icon known for his selflessness, has failed to rekindle the proper spirit among the populace since it began in February—or at least that the campaign is insufficient. The difficulty lies in finding another way, because two of China’s most important indigenous political frameworks, Confucianism and Maoism, are potentially dangerous to the CCP (“Another Lei Feng Revival: Making Maoism Safe for China,” China Brief, March 2). Clearly, the problems with popularizing socialism with Chinese characteristics are not new to Li or other members of the leadership. For example, speaking to the CCP Central Compilation and Translation Bureau in February, Li hailed the theorists’ efforts at “sinicization and popularization” of communist ideology. Li’s justification for strengthening ideological research—“to provide  advice to the country’s decision makers”— suggests observers should not so readily dismiss the importance of this subject (Xinhua, February 13).
Many observers believe the party has substituted nationalism for ideology as the foundation for the party’s continuing leadership; however, the CCP remains central to so much that some underlying justification is still required. If socialism without Chinese characteristics or Chinese-style Marxism are insufficient, disregarded or up for challenge, then the current government could find itself facing more serious problems. For example, the party cannot use nationalism as a substitute for its ideological reasoning that places the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) under the CCP’s control. Nationalization, de-politicization and taking the party out of the army are the three dangerous ideas that the PLA has been beating the propaganda drum against over the last six months (People’s Daily, June 25; PLA Daily, June 17, May 15, March 19; China Daily, March 13). While there could be a number of reasons for the propaganda, it also could be the natural reflection in the military of a society disenchanted with communist ideology. The PLA, however, is still the ultimate guarantor of government power.
Perhaps just as critical for the Chinese government, the CCP has positioned itself as the inheritor of Sun Yat-Sen’s democratic legacy—even if it has emphasized nationalism and people’s livelihood (minsheng zhuyi) over democracy (minquan zhuyi) (Red Flag, June 27; Outlook Weekly, October 9, 2011). This is why Zheng Ruolin, a correspondent for Wenhui Bao, could state boldly “Democracy has been broadly accepted as an idea” (Global Times, June 20). This point has been echoed in many places, including the 17th Party Congress political work report and a Central Party School book China and Democracy published in 2011. The continuing recurrence of democracy in important places indicates democracy is far more important than a mere rhetorical device, but relates to a serious intellectual contest that Li’s propagandists must confront. The government-approved, CCP-mediated democracy, however, rests on the vitality of socialism with Chinese characteristics—as Hu Jintao wrote “Developing the democratic politics of socialism is our party’s consistent objective of struggle” [1]. Democracy may be a CCP object, but it is delimited within a one-party system with the CCP at the center, on the party’s timeline and with structural political reform taking a backseat to economic development and stability (Red Flag, June 12, March 26; People’s Daily, April 9; PLA Daily, April 1) [2].
Although it is easy to dismiss the importance of Li Changchun’s call to popularize CCP ideology, the underpinnings of the CCP-led Chinese state depend on acceptance of Chinese-style Marxism—or unwavering popular faith in the CCP’s ability to govern. Regardless whether Li’s efforts and those of whoever succeeds him at the 18th Party Congress this fall are successful, the point is that the CCP is not satisfied with relying on coercion and competence to maintain its power. Beijing seeks to restore popular confidence in the system itself and Li is leading the intellectual charge while others focus on improving cadre performance.

Coup with Chinese Characteristics

There are coups and coups.
In India, the movement towards Delhi of some units of 1 Corps, based in Mathura, has been the objects of many TV debates and analyst's speculations.
China also had its own rumor of a coup (not involving the army like in India, but the paramilitary forces). 
In China, the rumor of a coup may have been related to the power struggle at the top of the Party, more particularly to Bo Xilai and Zhou Yongkang, the powerful Chinese politician.
A Taiwanese publication explained:

According to an unnamed Beijing source, Zhou Yongkang, a member of the elite nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, secretly promised to help Bo join him in the country's most powerful decision-making body and take over his role as secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee. This would have allowed Bo to control the People's Armed Police and Ministry of Public Security, and force Xi to step down before inserting himself in the vice president's place as expected future general secretary, the source said.

Mingjing also reported that Bo, through Wang and in the name of Chongqing's Public Security Bureau, purchased 5,000 rifles and 50,000 rounds of ammunition from a local munitions factory last year in order to create a private army. The People's Armed Police has already been sent to Chongqing to investigate the whereabouts of the weapons, the report said.

Another Mingjing News 'revelation' suggests that since Chinese New Year, Bo had been using his influence over domestic and international media to heighten attention on the forthcoming 18th CPC National People's Congress, where [Vice-President] Xi [Jinping] is expected to succeed Hu Jintao, current president and general secretary. Mingjing alleges that this was part of Bo's inside-outside assault to destabilize Hu, Xi and Premier Wen Jiabao while inserting himself into the leadership conversation.

Different countries, different reactions. 
While India keeps discussing the issue, China acts. 
The People's Daily commented: "If we allow the rumors to run amok, it will seriously disrupt the social order and stability and endanger social integrity." Xinhua's titled "Resolutely Say 'No' to Rumors and Their Followers", affirming "those who fabricate or spread rumors are not law-abiding. Making 'jokes' about important matters of social security and stability demonstrates a lack of responsibility toward society and toward themselves. It is very harmful."
It is harmful for the Party!
As a result, popular Chinese microblogging sites Sina Weibo, QQ Weibo and the bulletin board of the search engine Baidu, were blocked. They had dared mentioning the rumors.
The Guardian wrote: "China has intensified online censorship by closing 16 websites, taking the toughest steps yet against major microblogs and detaining six people for spreading rumours of a coup amid Beijing's most serious political crisis for years."
Now, Sina and Tencent, the organisations which operate China's most popular versions of Twitter with hundreds of millions of microbloggers, had pledged to strengthen their managements after being "criticised and punished". 
No comment anymore in China, while in India we will keep discussing, without of course, going to the root of the problem! 
In both cases, the root cause is Corruption.


Senior UPA minister behind coup report?
Zeenews Bureau
April 05, 2012,
New Delhi: Even though the government has rubbished the news report on "unusual" movement of two elite Army units towards Delhi in mid-January, the issue seems to be far from over as another newspaper, Thursday, claimed that a senior minister in the UPA government was behind the suspected coup attempt story.

As per The Sunday Guardian, a senior minister was the ‘mastermind’ behind the story aimed at aggravating the ‘friction’ between the political establishment and Army Chief VK Singh.
Quoting sources, the newspaper claimed that the minister is connected - through his close relative - with the defense procurement lobbies, who have been at loggerheads with the Army Chief.
The minister expected the political class to unite against the Army Chief at the very mention of a Pakistan-like situation in India, the report said.
However, the minister miscalculated the response of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who called the troop movement story as “alarmist” and that of Defence Minister AK Antony, who slammed attempts to question the patriotism of the armed forces.
The minister had assumed that Prime Minister and the Defence Minister would decline to comment on the report, thereby increasing the pressure on Army Chief to quit.
The Sunday Guardian claims that a close relative of the minister in question has been regularly meeting with arms merchants and their lobbyists during his many visits abroad.
Dubai, London and Bangkok are the three locations where the arms lobbyists usually ‘entertain’ VVIPs from India, the report added.
However, the entire episode has posed serious questions about the extent of the reach of arms lobbyists in the establishment. A senior minister playing into the hands of arms lobbyists is a development which would reverberate in the political circles and cause further unease to the Manmohan Singh-led government.
Meanwhile, Intelligence Bureau sources told Zee News that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has been informed that a group of lobbyists were trying to plant "alarmist stories in a bid to discredit the Army Chief".
The IB has told the PM that the row between the Army Chief and MoD has divided the Army in to two camps and brigadiers are almost functioning as "moles" leaking information to the media and the arms lobbies.

Rumors, rumors, rumors

This posting on a Foreign Policy's blog gives an idea of the atmosphere in China today.
These wild founded or unfounded rumors are the logical consequence of an extremely opaque system.
How long will it last?
The regime in Beijing wants to control everything and does not control anything.
The government publication, Huanqiu recently published an article complaining about  rumors spreading in the Middle Kingdom; however, it did not analyze the root of the problem which is opacity. 
The article entitled "Hold the Line of Defense and Resist Rumors" says:

Recently, certain rumors have been spreading on and off of the Internet, with high visibility. Some of them even involve Changan Street (the location of the Chinese State Council) and Zhongnanhai (the headquarters of the Communist Party). These rumors are very bizarre and ridiculous, thus interfering with public opinion. Chinese society should be on the alert about this and should not let the rumor mill run without restrictions.” The commentary alleged that the rumors are quietly eroding society. “[To legitimize rumors] is in fact to build a publicly-accepted world outside of the current political framework and to constantly erode the authority of the current system. Once rumors are legitimized, they will become a cheap tool to disintegrate the country ideologically and politically.

If the Communist Party is interested to stop the ideological and political disintegration of the country, the only solution is to open itself (something Deng Xiaoping did in 1978 for the economy). 
Is the Party able to do so? 
The Burmese regime is the example of a most opaque system opening itself to the world in a peaceful and dignified manner.
Unless, this is done, rumors will continue and the Party will keep loosing whatever is left of its legitimacy in the eyes of the masses.

The Great Rumor Mill of China
Foreign Policy
ISAAC STONE FISH
MARCH 22, 2012
Something strange is going on in Beijing. Here are the five most virulent conspiracy theories making the rounds -- and a stab at the likelihood of them panning out.
The public hasn't seen or heard from high-ranking Communist Party leader Bo Xilai since he was sacked last week in Beijing, and the Chinese Internet has been awash with debate over what's actually going on behind palace walls. "People are nervous, there's not much information available," Bo Zhiyue, an expert on Chinese elite politics at the National University of Singapore, told AFP. "They are hungry for new information, and if there's nothing new, they will make up new information."
Speculation is rife that a coup might have happened, with the only general consensus being that something big is going on in Beijing. What follows is a curated guide to the "information" -- read: wild rumors and speculation -- floating around online in Chinese about Bo Xilai's surprising fall from grace and what his sacking means for the future of the Chinese Communist Party.

1. Bo Xilai was sacrificed in the name of party unity.
The rumor: Although Bo had widespread support in the high leadership, current President Hu Jintao and former President Jiang Zemin (who's not dead, though this was rumored, too) agreed to kick him out to facilitate a smooth power transition for Xi Jinping this fall. The 85-year old Jiang, an ally of Bo's now deceased father, turned on Bo Xilai for the good of the Communist Party.
Really?: For a party bent on showing a united front to outsiders, Bo Xilai, with his loud populism and his overt (at least for China) thirst for power, apparently proved too dangerous. Analysts sometime classify Hu Jintao as belonging to a different faction of the party than Jiang Zemin, but the two leaders have worked together to houseclean in the past; apparently cutting a deal to depose a powerful Shanghai party chief in 2006.
The source: Various Taiwanese and Hong Kong media websites that tend to mix assertion with fact when reporting on elite Chinese politics.
Likelihood: Possible but unprovable at the moment, at least until someone releases better sourcing or better documentation.

2. Mao Zedong's grandson will come to power.
The rumor: General Mao Xinyu will be promoted to Bo's position, or another high ranking post, to fight corruption in the name of his glorious grandfather and make the country strong once more.
Really?: General Mao, possibly the world's most obese major general, is a tragicomic figure in Chinese politics. Imagine if Jimmy Carter's embarrassing brother mixed with a slovenly version of Kato Kaelin were the venerated grandson of your nation's founder. Because of his illustrious lineage, though, he still appears at major meetings to present information, with the added benefit of entertaining reporters.
Jamil Anderlini, who interviewed him last year for the Financial Times, writes:
Unlike other "princelings," as the children of revolutionary heroes are known, General Mao has never been accused of using his pedigree to advance his business interests. On the contrary, he is considered incapable of doing much of anything besides memorizing a few tracts of his grandfather's famous quotes, something that every Chinese child in the 1960s and 1970s could do.
General Mao's penmanship is so childish it has even spun a parody account on Weibo, "Mao Xinyu the Calligrapher."
Source: Scattered comments on Chinese microblogs.
Likelihood: Slightly better than the Mayan Apocalypse.

3. Another high-ranking leader has been purged.
The rumor: Zhou Yongkang, ostensibly a Bo Xilai supporter, has been detained by order of President Hu Jintao in the biggest leadership shake-up, and possibly the most destabilizing, since the Mao's death in 1976.
Really?: Nine men currently sit on the Politburo Standing Committee, the top decision making body in China. Zhou, officially ranked last, oversees state security and the police, but some analysts see him as one of the Standing Committee's most powerful men. A former oilman who grimaces even when he smiles, imagine Zhou as a Dick Cheney with a slightly lower rank. Xinhua has reported that the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee, which Zhou chairs, will host a training of more than 3,300 provincial, city, and county-level officials in April, but it's unclear what this says about Zhou's grip on power.
The source: A Chinese edition of the Epoch Times (the paper affiliated with the banned-in-China Falun Gong sect) compares Zhou's detention -- which no one else can corroborate -- to the arrests of the Gang of Four in 1976. The paper, however, sources this to "indications." The English edition is a bit more circumspect; in an article entitled "China's Security Chief Zhou Yongkang Pulled from Power?" they qualify their statement with the helpful phrase: "News of Zhou's arrest remains unconfirmed."
Likelihood: Not outside the realm of possibility, but the chance of this happening appears minuscule. It's more likely wishful thinking. The Epoch Times has written good stories and broken news, but on trustworthiness appears to fall somewhere between the Washington Times and Scientologynews.org. The Epoch Times also has an axe to grind here: given Zhou's role in the Falun Gong crackdown, it's a safe bet that many in that newspaper, and its shadowy backers, would be happy to see him go.

4. The son of Bo Xilai was killed in a Ferrari crash.
The rumor: Bo's son Guagua was driving the Ferrari that crashed on Sunday night in Beijing, killing him and injuring his two unnamed female companions.
Really? Bo Guagua, Bo's dapper, Oxford-educated son, has long been a favorite target of the Internet set. Bo is currently a student at Harvard's Kennedy School, and the snarkier corners of the Chinese web treat him like the worthy subject of Gawker-like attention.
Source: Comments in articles about the mysterious and censored Ferrari crash.
Likelihood: Almost impossible. The Wall Street Journal reported that Bo the younger drove a Ferrari to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing for a dinner last year, but that -- and his father's troubles -- appear to be the only thing linking him to the accident. The Weibo account assumed to belong to Bo has been active since, and, at the risk of stating the obvious, just because he hasn't been seen since his father's sacking doesn't mean he died in a Ferrari crash.

5. Armed chaos in Beijing.
Rumor: Yesterday saw gun-battles in Beijing, the airport has been sealed, and martial law had been imposed on the Avenue of Eternal Peace (the street perpendicular to Tiananmen Square and that runs alongside many important government buildings).
Really? There appears to be something strange afoot in Beijing, but fears of a return to June 4, 1989 -- when tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square and the capital fell under martial law, a response both to a student protest movement and disagreements among members of the Politburo Standing Committee -- seem outlandish.
Source: Chinese articles published on overseas websites, trying to explain and debunk the current rumors floating around the Internet. Mostly they're just adding to them. As Foreign Policy's Christina Larson pointed out, this is when a Chinese Peter Jennings would be useful.
Likelihood: It's possible there was sporadic gunfire in Beijing -- though it's a city where guns are heavily restricted. But sealing the world's second-busiest airport and imposing martial law on a major thoroughfare in a city filled with millions of bloggers, hundreds of foreign journalists, and thousands of international observers without any credible source reporting this seems, well, impossible.

***

So what are we to make of all this? For the time being, it's too early to say. Silence from official channels, and lack of information, has fueled a lot of speculation. Yesterday, in the state-run Global Times, an unsigned essay -- perhaps the longest and most direct mention of what is happening in China in mainstream media -- didn't even mention Bo Xilai by name, instead referring to "The Chongqing Incident." Unsurprisingly, it urged people to place their trust in the highest levels of the Communist Party.
"Because we now have become more diversified, we have other choices, we have realized that trusting in the Party Central Committee, implementing the path of the Party, is more dependable than any methods other people teach us," it reads. It's an odd time to talk about other paths, other teachers. The essay, which has been widely re-posted online, appears to have been taken down from the Global Times website, which could mean that someone chose to comment on a subject before the Communist Party decided the party line.
And when the party line doesn't even know what it wants to communicate, it's fuel to the flames of conspiracy.

What Chinese People Really Think and Feel

This is about 'political sarcasm'  found on the Internet in China.
Chinascope has translated some Internet and blog postings about today's China.
One is surprised at the candidness of the bloggers ...and their courage.
Of course, most of the issues raised exist elsewhere in the world and particularly in India, but here we have a relatively free Press which allows the 'masses' to record their frustrations, their anger and the excesses  of the politicians and the civil servants (the formers usually take a beating during the next round of elections as the result of scams' coverage).
It is not yet the case in China which does not know elections.
I had already mentioned on this blog  the funny case of: "The Château Lafite Rothschild that you drank was created on a ship."
Let us hope that the Indian Government will not put its threats of censuring social networks into practice, it would be loss for the society.
Though the people would certainly find a way to circumvent any censure. 
It is not that easy to muzzle the truth in China and elsewhere.  
It gives hope that we shall, one day, live in a better world.

Chinascope Editor’s Note:
Political jokes and sarcasm are a good resource for understanding a country’s political realities, public attitudes, and the nature of problems that affect that society’s stability. An article titled “An Outstanding Student’s Letter to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao,” which was published on Weibo.com, combined many of the microblog posts published throughout 2011 that exhibited China’s particular affinity for political sarcasm. Some of these postings can also be found on some official websites, such as the public forums for People’s Daily Online. This indicates that it is not just the public that understands the underlying issues; the government officials acknowledge them as well. A translation of a major part of the article follows. The Chinascope editor has added some helpful information so that Western readers may better understand the specific issues, the references, and the subtlety (although sometimes not so subtle) of Chinese humor.]

An Outstanding Student’s Letter to Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao
December 16, 2011

Dear President and Prime Minister:

Greetings!

According to government statistics, in the past 30 years of reform and opening up, the items that have appreciated in value the most were: housing, cemetery plots, officials’ hats (Ed: that the content of officials’ hats appreciates is suggestive of the large amount of money people have to pay in bribes to secure a government position), moon cakes, and mistresses. The items that have depreciated in value the fastest were: professional titles, diplomas, morals, credibility, and the Renminbi.
China has become a nation of many groups, including the no-money-left-by-the-end-of-the-month group (those who spend but don’t plan), the eat-the-elderly group (those who don’t work but live off of their parent’s income), the low-paid-worker group, the living-in-a-tiny-residence group, the ant group, the complainer group, the con artist group, the chasing-self-interest group, and the hiding-marriage group (married people who appear single in public due to workplace or social pressure, such as not being able to afford a wedding).

***

 This year, a “nail” resident (Ed: 钉子户, a new term in China referring to someone who refuses to give up his home when government officials appropriate the land in order to develop it) resorted to the most desperate solution; she ended her life (Ed: Tang Fuzhen set herself on fire). Her death did not prove the government’s barbarity and shamelessness, but only that gasoline could ignite.

***

In this year, Li Gang didn’t get famous. Li Gang’s son didn’t get famous either, but Li Gang’s son’s (words about his) dad got really famous. (Ed: Li Gang is the Deputy Director of the Beishi District Police Department, Baoding City, Hebei Province. While driving, his son hit and killed two college students. When the authorities came to get him, he infamously said, “Go ahead and sue me if you dare. My dad is Li Gang!” The sentence, “My dad is Li Gang,” has since been the subject of many sarcastic jokes on the Internet.)

***

Recently, the government issued telling statistics:

• If you are not one of the “big three” (a big official, a big celebrity, or someone with big money), what would it cost you to buy a 100-square-meter (900-square-feet) apartment in Beijing at a price of 3 million yuan (U.S. $480,000)?
• 1. If you are a farmer: Given an annual income of 400 yuan per Mu (0.17 acre), you would need to have farmed 3 Mus every year from the time of the Tang dynasty (618 A.D. – 907 A.D.) until now (assuming there was no disaster at any time).
• 2. If you are a factory worker: Given a monthly income of 1,500 yuan, you would need to have worked from the time of the Opium War (1839-1842) until now (with no weekends or holidays off).
• 3. If you are a white-collar worker: Given an annual income of 60,000 yuan, you would need to have earned the same salary since 1960, with no eating or drinking (Ed:  saving every penny) (with no days off) for holidays.
• 4. If you are a thief: You would need to have committed the same crime 2,500 times and all of those crimes must have been against white-collar workers (Ed: Since the farmers and factory workers earn much less than white-collar workers, stealing from them would not result in much money) over about 30 years.
• 5. If you are a prostitute: You would have had to service 10,000 customers. Assuming you serviced one customer a day, you would have had to work for 10,000 days straight, from the age of 18 to the age of 46 (with no time off for your menstrual period).
• Expenses for such items as interior decoration, furniture, and appliances are not included for anyone above.
• ______

China’s Current Banking Situation (this is classic):
(Ed: In China, all the major banks are state-owned. Therefore, when there is a conflict between the bank and the customer, the government sides with the bank)

• 1. The customer receives counterfeit money from an ATM machine.  That has nothing to do with the bank.
• 2. The customer loses money when his online banking account is hacked. That is the customer’s problem.
• 3. The bank gives too much money to the customer.  The customer must return it.
• 4. The bank gives too little money to the customer. The bank is no longer responsible once (the customer) leaves the counter.
• 5. The customer receives less money due to an ATM problem. That’s the customer’s problem.
• 6. The customer receives too much money due to an ATM problem. The customer is stealing.
• 7. The President of Kaiping Bank, Guangdong Province, stole 400 million yuan (U.S. $63.5 million). He was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
• 8. Xu Ting, an ordinary person received an additional 70,000 yuan (U.S. $11,000) due to an ATM error. He was sentenced to life in prison.

***

China’s Current Situation:

• You can’t afford to have a baby – a C-section starts at 5,000 yuan.
• You can’t afford to go to school – choosing a school starts at 30,000 yuan.
• You can’t afford to have a residence – an apartment starts at over 20,000 yuan per square meter.
• It’s not that you can’t find a woman to marry, but without an apartment and a car, who will marry you?
• You can’t afford to support your family – your parents were laid off and you had a baby.
• You can’t afford to be sick – the charge for medicine is ten times the cost of producing it; it is too expensive.
• You can’t afford to live – if you work hard for a month, you only earn a little over 1,000 yuan.
• You can’t afford to die – cremation and burial costs 30,000 yuan or more.

In conclusion: You can’t afford to live, nor can you afford to die.



***

• China’s Education System: Hope goes in, desperation comes out.
• Real estate: A tiny apartment goes in, a huge mortgage comes out.
• Performing arts: A virgin goes in, a prostitute comes out.
• The appeals office: Dou’e (Ed: 窦娥, the female protagonist in a well-known Chinese drama – some crooks set her up and an official sentenced her to death) goes in, an insane person comes out.
• The government: Hai Rui (Ed: 海瑞, an honest official from the Ming Dynasty who refused to become corrupt) goes in; He Shen (Ed: 和绅, a very corrupt official from the Ming Dynasty) comes out.
• A coal mine: Squat to go in; lay on your back (Ed: meaning you are dead) to come out.
• University: A beautiful girl goes in; a prostitute comes out.
• The stock market: Yang Baiwan (Ed: a rich person worth over 1 million yuan) goes in, Yang Bailao (Ed: 杨白劳, a poor peasant in a CCP drama in which the landlord took away his daughter because he was not able to pay back his debt to the landlord) comes out.
• A BMW goes in, a bicycle comes out.
• Suits go in, underwear comes out.

***

An ordinary person might think, “Why can’t I outwit the government?” Here are the reasons:

• If you reason with it, it acts like a villain.
• If you act like a villain, it talks to you about following the law.
• If you talk to it about following the law, it talks to you about politics.
• If you talk to it about politics, it talks to you about the unique national situation.
• If you talk to it about the unique national situation, it talks to you about catching up with international standards.
• If you talk to it about catching up international standards, it talks to you about culture (which is different from nation to nation).
• If you talk to it about culture, it talks to you about Confucius.
• If you talk to it about Confucius, it talks to you about the Big Me (Ed: what a person calls himself when bullying others).
• If you talk to it about the Big Me, it pretends to be a pitiful small man!

***

• (Poisoned) milk powder destroyed the 2000s generation (those born in the first decade of 2000);
• Exams destroyed the 90s; (Ed: Endless exams for students)
• Housing prices destroyed the 80s; (Ed: The people who started working then can’t afford housing.)
• Unemployment destroyed the 70s; (Ed: People in their 40s have been laid off.)
• Urban management staff destroyed the 60s; (Ed: Urban management, or 城管, the government staff that manages street order and minor local crimes. [7] It means that the government forced people in their 50s into retiring from their jobs and then would not allow them to set up vendor booths on the street in order to make a living.)
• Forced retirement destroyed the 50s;
• Forced-demolition destroyed the 40s;
• Medical insurance reform destroyed the 30s. (Ed: In the past, the work place guaranteed people medical insurance. In the past few years, China made a series of medical reforms to off-load the burden from state-owned enterprises onto the Bureau of Civil Affairs. As a result, some people lost their insurance or ended up with limited or greatly reduced coverage. The elderly were hit the hardest on this issue.)

***

People who are living and living very well attended the two Conferences (Ed: 两会, the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. These two Chinese characters used can also be interpreted as “know two things”).
Someone asked, “What is ‘knowing two things’?”

• A farmer representative replied, “Knowing how to raise a pig and how to mate.”
• A worker representative replied, “Knowing how to earn money and how to spend money.”
• An off-farm worker representative replied, “Knowing how to get the withheld money (Ed: It’s a common practice in China for businesses to withhold off-farm workers’ wages) and how to kneel (Ed: Some off-farm workers have no choice but to kneel to beg the business owners to give them their money).”
• A sleep-in housemaid representative replied, “Knowing how to sleep with the male master and how to make the bed.”
• A performer representative replied, “Knowing how to create publicity and how to sleep with (the big names or the rich people).”
• A businessman representative replied, “Knowing how to make money and how to avoid paying taxes.”
• An official representative replied, “Knowing how to lie and how to accept bribes.”
• An investor representative replied, “Knowing how to sell at loss and how to cry.”

***

When Gao Xiaosong (Ed: A Chinese musician who was put in prison for six months in 2011 for drunk driving) got out of prison, he wrote on his personal microblog, “November 8, the beginning of winter, my term (in prison) is over,; I am returning home. 184 days, the longest 6 months. How is every one? How is the outside world?”

Replies:
“Teacher Xiaosong, in the past 6 months:
Laden was killed;

• Gaddafi also died;
• The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television restricted entertainment:
• Pan Currency was issued; (Ed: Pan Currency, or 潘币, is a unit for measuring the price of housing, suggested by Pan Shiyi, the Chairman of Soho China. 1 Pan equals 1,000 yuan per square meter. Pan Shiyi later introduced Pan Currency on his microblog using his face to replace Mao Zedong’s face on the Renminbi.)
• The urban management staff was still mighty;
• The national soccer team was still lame; (Ed: The Chinese are big soccer fans but, year after year, the national team’s performance in international competitions has disappointed them. On top of that, in recent years, many players have been involved in scandals.)
• When old people fell, still no one dared to help them;
• The high-speed train crash investigation yielded no result;
• The “da Vinci” brand furniture that you wanted to buy turned out to be fake; (Ed: “da Vinci” was a hyped-up “super Italian” furniture brand in China that commanded sky-high prices. It was found to be a fake brand (not from Italy) and the materials used were of poor quality.
• The Château Lafite Rothschild that you drank was created on a ship; (Ed: Suggesting it was not the real Château Lafite Rothschild from France, but fake.)
• We were all good, just didn’t have a ticket to board (Noah’s Ark) (Ed: A reference to 2012 being the end of the world). …

***

• High-speed trains in Wenzhou kissed each other,
• Subways in Shanghai rear-ended,
• A train in Beijing fell off the track,
• A ship in Hunan sank into the river,
• The FBC-1 (Flying Leopard) fighter jet crashed,
• To protect the South China Sea territory, we can only use our mouths, (Ed: Hinting the government only talks instead of taking real action)
• When they go to Thailand, humans become ghosts. (Ed: Referring to the 13 Chinese sailors who were murdered on the Mekong River in Thailand.

***

The differences between television and the computer (Ed: comparing the state-controlled media with the Internet):
When you turn on the computer, it seems that the society is so dark, officials are so corrupt, gangsters are on a rampage, people struggle to make ends meet, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be destroyed immediately.
When you turn on the television, it seems that society is in such harmony, people are so happy, the whole country is full of peace and prosperity, and the CCP will stay in power for a hundred years without any problem.

The computer shows you a picture of real life,
Television shows you a picture of wedding portrait. (Ed: Implying the television has “make-up” on and is highly illusionary.)

***

In the great People’s Republic of China:
Gasoline? We can’t afford to fill our tanks.
Roads? We can’t afford to walk on them. (Ed: Many local governments collect tolls for use of the roads)
School? We can’t afford to go to them.
Sickness? We can’t afford to be treated.
An apartment? We can’t afford to buy one.
Cemetery? We can’t afford buy a plot, so we can’t afford to die.
Vegetables? We can’t afford to eat.
Debts? We can’t afford to pay them back.
Lawsuits? We can’t afford to take anyone to court.
Officials? We can’t afford to offend them.
Wedding? We can’t afford to have one.
Children? We can’t afford to raise them.
Love? We can’t risk being hurt.
Consciences? Sorry, we don’t have any.
The old person who falls? We don’t help.
The child crushed by a car? We don’t save.
In China, we are still alive. Isn’t that amazing??????

Hu Jintao’s Karmic connection with Tibet

My article Hu Jintao’s Karmic connection with Tibet appeared in the DNA on February 13.  
Click here to read.

Less ideology, more compassion, please!

Though Beijing is trying hard to promote Buddhism abroad (particularly in Lumbini, Nepal or in Nalanda), the leadership in Beijing does not seem aware of the Words of the Buddha: "As the wise test gold by burning, cutting and rubbing it on a piece of touchstone, so are you to accept my words only after examining them and not merely out of regard for me."
On the contrary, Beijing is trying to force Marxist ideology in the throats of the Chinese people without "burning, cutting and rubbing it on a piece of touchstone".
This article in the Red Flag Manuscript affirms: "We must fully recognize the extreme importance of ideology work, always adhere to Marxism’s guiding position in the ideology field, always remain clear and firm in our thinking and political activities, and prevent influence and interference from all kinds of wrong ideas."
But 'ideology' will not solve the problems of China. 
The Communist regime has been trying for the past 60 years to use 'ideology' to give a direction to the Middle Kingdom, but China has only been successful in the fields where she was able to put ideology behind.
Ideology has never helped to solve the practical problems of the masses:  last year only China has witnessed more than 1,20,000 riots/unrests.
The Chinese people want something more concrete and more human than ideology.
In the meantime, it was confirmed that two Tibetan died after security forces opened fire on protesters on 24 January at Serta County in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Sichuan Province).
Some 10 Tibetans were seriously injured and some 40 others have been arrested. Over 300 Tibetans gathered and shouted slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and Tibetan freedom. Later, a large number of security forces arrived on the scene and started beating and kicking the protesters.
Let us hope that the new leadership, to be chosen at the end of the year, will use less ideology and repression, but more compassion.

Red Flag Manuscript: Watch Out for the West’s Infiltration and Sabotage in the Arena of Ideology

[Editor’s Note: Red Flag Manuscript published an article on the importance of safeguarding China’s ideology. [1] The author, Zheng Weiping, Director of the Political Department of Guangzhou Military Region, argued that “It has always been the core mission of each country and political (ruling) party to fight for the discourse power in ideology and be proactive in safeguarding the nation’s ideology.” Zheng stated that China should adhere to its Marxist ideology and socialist path and be fully alert to the West’s infiltration and attempts to overthrow the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) leadership. The following is an excerpt from the article.]

Ideology is an important issue that is directly related to core national interests, national security, and development. It has always been the core mission of each country and political (ruling) party to fight for the discourse power in ideology and be proactive in safeguarding the nation’s ideology. Given the current complex international and domestic situation, a correct understanding and a proper response to the challenges in the arena of ideology are major practical issues for us.

I. Consciously Adhere to the Marxist Ideology

The Marxist theory of ideology is a sharp weapon for us to use in our ideology work. To have a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the Marxist theory of ideology, one must deeply comprehend its basic ideas: First, the mode of production of material determines the nature of ideology. ... Second, ideology is based on an interpretation of the real world. Politics, law, morality, art, philosophy, religion, and other ideas form the ideological superstructure which includes ideals, beliefs, values, and other important spiritual notions. These, in turn, affect and restrict people's values and spiritual life. Third, class is the essential characteristic of ideology. … Fourth, ideology is the thought system of the dominant social class. ... Fifth, ideology must not only interpret the world, but also transform the world. ... Sixth, the core value system is the soul of ideology. Ideologies are built around the core value system of a social class and social group. … The battles among ideologies are basically clashes between the core value systems. These Marxist concepts of ideology are the guidelines for our work in the arena of ideology.

II. Accurately Grasp the Nature of Socialist Ideology with Chinese Characteristics

Marxism is the soul of socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics. ...

The common goal of socialism with Chinese characteristics is the subject of socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics. ...

The national spirit with patriotism as its core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation as their core are the essence of the socialist ideology with Chinese characteristics.

III. Deeply Recognize the Complex Situation in the Arena of Ideology

First, in the context of economic globalization, the struggle between ideologies has become more intense and complex. Specific manifestations are:

1) The main ideological struggle has not changed. Since the socialist system was established, Western capitalism has committed to peaceful evolution and Westernization. Its attempt to constrain and strangle socialism has never changed. The main ideological struggle between socialism and capitalism still revolves around who will defeat the other.

2) The pattern of ideological struggle is more complex. There are mainstream conflicts between capitalism and socialism, non-mainstream ideological debates that impact political and social values, and ideological differences that stem from ethnic, religious, sovereignty, and territorial disputes. Different ideologies confront, penetrate, and influence each other, making the ideological struggle more complex.

3) The ideological struggle has entered into more areas. It is not limited to the ideological and cultural fields, but also permeates politics, economics, technology, the military, international relations, and other fields. It has also become more popular in the areas of culture, academics, and life in general. Ideology’s appearance and essence are more and more separated from each other, but its impact has become more and more lasting and strong.

4) Ideology plays a more obvious role in international strategic battles these days. The U.S.-led Western countries implement their ideological strategy, encouraging and supporting so-called "color revolutions," which are, in fact, the Western-styled "democratic reform" to change other countries. On the surface, the struggle between maintaining and changing the regime in a targeted country looks like non-violent revolution and political action carried out in the streets by the locals, but actually it is the West’s ideological hegemony that plays a leading role behind it. The recent "Rose Revolution," "Orange Revolution," and "Jasmine Revolution" are examples.

Second, Western countries have strengthened their efforts to infiltrate and sabotage our ideology. The U.S.-led Western countries do not want to see a strong socialist China. They attempt to use their Westernization and separation strategy to drastically change China, just as they did to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. They have deliberately intensified political pressure, stepped up economic development constraints, continued to demonize us, and ideologically and culturally infiltrated us, using more diverse means and higher technology. It is more and more difficult for us to fend them off and respond to them.

For example, they push ideological hegemony under the banner of Western freedom, democracy, and human rights; they promote the multi-party system and a separation of powers; they attack our political system, maliciously stir up discussions of social hot issues, incite separation using ethnic and religious issues, support "dissidents" to challenge our political bottom line, deny the party's leadership in the name of "restoring history" and "reforming by reflecting,” strengthen ideological and cultural infiltration, and sabotage our country by using their advantage in network technology. Overall, they effect ideological infiltration and sabotage by taking capitalist values as the core ideological export content, stirring up discussions on sensitive issues, penetrating to and competing for the grassroots level, using "dissidents" and “opinion leaders" as their supporters, forging collusion between internal and external forces, targeting the military, and taking the Internet and mobile phones as a key battlefield.

The reality shows that the complexity and sharp struggle in the ideological field do not change based on our will. The struggle is a contest between the socialist and capitalist value systems. The hostile forces’ fundamental goal is to overthrow the CCP’s leadership and subvert our country's socialist system.

Third, one cannot ignore the impact that the complicated struggle in the ideological field has on our society.

IV. Fighting the Ideological Battle Proactively

Ideology work is related to the Party’s and the country’s overall work, the steady development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, social harmony, and the stability of the nation. We must fully recognize the extreme importance of ideology work, always adhere to Marxism’s guiding position in the ideology field, always remain clear and firm in our thinking and political activities, and prevent influence and interference from all kinds of wrong ideas. At present, we should utilize mainstream media, the Internet, mobile phones, and other new media to build a modern communications system with wide coverage and advanced technology, strengthen and improve our leadership over ideology work, and improve our ability to establish ideology.

[1] Red Flag Manuscript, “Properly Deal with the Challenges in the Arena of Ideology,” November 29, 2011.
http://www.qstheory.cn/hqwg/2011/201122/201111/t20111129_126348.htm.

A nation of prosperity, peace and freedom for all

On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, I am posting a text from Murong Xuecun.
Murong is the pen name of a Chinese author Hao Qun. His first work, Chengdu, Leave Me Alone Tonight has been read by millions of Chinese people on Internet.
On July 22, 2008, Murong made it to the long list for the Man Asian Literary Prize. 
Muring's microblog has more than 1 million followers.
The conclusions of this essay are: "I love my country. I love her splendid mountains and rivers and her great civilization. I appreciate the suffering she has experienced. In fact, I love my country even more because of the suffering she has been through. Yes, I am criticizing her rotten system, but I do not want to see bloodshed while my country is improving herself. I hope the system will improve gracefully. I hope in the near future, in my country, flowers of freedom will blossom and children will smile without fear. I hope in the near future, my country, an ancient civilization, a land of suffering, will become a nation of prosperity, peace and freedom, for all."
It is what one can wish to the Chinese people for the New Dragon-Water Year.  


Caging a Monster
把怪物关进笼子里
Murong Xuecun 慕容雪村
Translated by Jane Weizhen Pan and Martin Merz

I am a Chinese writer. Allow me to say a few words about my country. Everyone knows that in the past thirty years China has built countless skyscrapers, commissioned countless airports, and paved countless freeways. My country’s GDP is the world’s second largest and her products are sold in every corner of the planet. My compatriots can be seen on tour in London, New York and Tokyo wearing expensive clothes, chattering raucously. My compatriots also fill up casinos and line up to buy LV bags. People exclaim in amazement: China is rising, the Chinese are rich! But behind this facade of power and prosperity there are details of which many people are unaware, and it is precisely these details that make my country a very strange place.

我是一个中国作家,在这里向你介绍一下我的国家。正如你们所知,在过去的三十年里,这个国家建造了无数高楼,修了无数机场,铺平了无数道 路,它的GDP位居全球第二,它制造的商品造销往全世界每一个角落。在伦敦、在纽约、在东京,到处可见身穿昂贵西装的中国游客,他们大声谈笑,出手不凡, 他们占领了大多数赌场,疯狂抢购LV皮包。人们惊诧于这样的场面,说中国强大了,中国人有钱了。可我要说,在这表面的强大和富足之下,中国还有许多不为人 知的细节,而正是这些细节,让中国变成了一个极为奇怪的国家。

Living in China is like watching a play in a giant theatre. The plots are absurd and the scenarios are unbelievable—so absurd, so unbelievable that they are beyond any writer’s imagination.

生活在中国,就像坐在一个巨大的戏院里,随时可以看到荒唐的故事、离奇的情节,超过每一个作家的想象。

My country manufactures powdered milk containing melamine, feeds fish and shrimp contraceptive medications to enhance their growth, uses industrial alcohol in fake wine, preserves beancurd with human excrement, and produces “gutter oil,” the product of a notorious practice in which waste oil from gutters outside restaurants is recycled for human consumption.

这个国家有含有三聚氰胺的奶粉、用避孕药喂大的鱼鳖虾蟹、用工业酒精勾兑的假酒、用大粪熏制的臭豆腐,还有著名的地沟油,这是一种从下水道中提炼出的食用油,它出现在每个家庭的餐桌上。

In my country, the legal system works like this: countless laws are enacted, and then countless procedures are created, followed by countless enforcement regulations and detailed judicial interpretations, but ultimately it is up to the political leaders to decide who wins and who loses a case.

In my country, many cases cannot be pursued in the courts. Even if legal action is taken, courts can refuse to hear a case. Even if the case is heard in court, the judgement is made well before the hearing starts.

这个国家的法律系统是这样运作的:先制定无数法律,然后制定无数精密的程序,然后制定无数实施细则,然后制定无数司法解释,最后......由领导决定案子输赢。

在这个国家,有许多事不能起诉,即使起诉了,法院也不会受理,即使受理了,也会毫无疑问地败诉。

In my country, many innocent people disappear, and some people lose their freedom without ever being sentenced by a court. Some people attempt to have their grievances addressed at a higher level by following procedures prescribed in law. These people are branded “petitioners.” In my country, the word petitioner conveys the sense of a nuisance, a mentally ill person, a terrorist. To deal with these petitioners, the government mobilises a huge amount of resources to herd them home, jail them, and in a particularly creative measure, incarcerate them in insane asylums.

在这个国家,有一些人会无缘无故地消失,有一些人未经审判就失去了自由。还有一些人 屈难申,按照法律规定的程序寻求公平,这些人被称作‘上访人员’,这个词在中文里的含义是讨厌鬼、精神病人和恐怖分子。为了对付他们,我们的政府动用了大 量人力物力,有时把他们赶回老家,有时把他们关进监牢,最聪明的是把他们关进疯人院。

Recently a famous petitioner, a blind lawyer called Chen Guangcheng has attracted a lot of attention. Chen is an advocate for people’s rights and dignity. At this very moment, he is a prisoner in his own home. Many people, including myself, have attempted to visit Chen but all have been chased away by government employed thugs.

最近有一位上访者引起了广泛关注,他是一位盲人律师,名叫陈光诚,他曾经为了别人的利益呼喊奔走,而此刻,他正被严密地看管在自己的家中,任何人都不能接近,许多人,包括我在内曾冒着危险前去探望他,可无一例外,全都被政府雇用的打手打了出来。

In my country, there are many peculiar ways to die in detention and officials are more creative than a novelist like me in coming up with explanations: died playing hide-and-seek; died while dreaming; died of psychosis; died sipping water. But in all cases the bodies of those who die in custody are covered in bruises and wounds.

这个国家有各种各样的离奇死法,在看守所内,如果有人无故死去,官方会给出各种富有想象力的解释,说他们因捉迷藏而死,因做梦而死,因发狂而死,还有人仅仅因为喝了一口水就会死,但是毫无例外,这些死去的人都带着满身的伤痕。

In my country, every city has demolition crews equipped with bulldozers and truncheons. The bulldozers are for levelling people’s homes and the truncheons are for bludgeoning stubborn homeowners. To protect their homes, some homeowners beg on their knees, others cry, and some threaten to kill themselves or even actually self immolate. But nothing can stand in the way of the demolition crews and no official is ever brought to account when demolitions result in deaths.

在这个国家,每个城市都有拆迁队,他们的标准装备是铲车和棍棒,铲车用来拆除别人的房子,棍棒用来殴打和驱赶那些不听话的人。为了保卫自己 的家园,有人痛哭,有人下跪,有人把汽油泼在身上点火自焚,但无论他们做什么,都不会影响到拆迁队的工程进度。许多人因此而死,却从来没有人为他们的死亡 负责。

In my country, elections are a charade—the government decides the results in advance. Their candidates are always elected. Very often people are asked to elect two out of two candidates. Other times, elections even defy basic math—three winners can be elected from two candidates. Every five years there is a national election and the winners are called people’s representatives but the majority of them only represent the government.

在这个国家,选举是一场奇怪的游戏,最终结果由上级决定,上级需要哪个人当选,哪个人就一定会当选,很少出现误差。在很多时候,人们需要从 两个人中选出两个人来,还有些时候,这种选举甚至会违背数学原理,要求选民们从两个人中选出三个人来。每过五年,会有一次全国范围的选举,选上的人被称为 人民代表,而事实上,他们几乎不能代表人民,只能算政府雇员,也只会帮政府说话。

One woman in her seventies, for example, has been a people’s representative for over fifty years and yet she has never tabled a motion, and never once voted against a motion. Her job is simple. All she has to do is raise her hand and she can live a comfortable life for performing this task. In recent years some people have attempted to compete in these elections without receiving government approval. These people almost always lose and often suffer miserably for their actions.

他们的典型人物是一位七十多岁的老女士,她当了五十几年代表,从没反对过任何提案,也从来不曾弃权,她的工作非常简单,只是举手,并因此过上了舒适的生活。最近情况有所变化,有些人未经政府同意就想参选,但他们几乎全都失败,还有一些人因此过上了悲惨的生活。

In my country, government-run relief organisations engage in human trafficking; intellectually-disabled people slave away in factories and mines; pregnant women are coerced to have abortions and infants are taken by force to be handed over to orphanages. These infants then are sold to other regions and even foreign countries if their parents cannot come up with the cash to buy them back.

在这个国家,政府开办的救济机构会公开地买卖人口,有智力智碍的病人会被当成奴隶,在工厂和矿井中过着暗无天日的生活。在这个国家,怀孕的妇女会被强迫堕胎,一些婴儿会被强迫送进孤儿院,如果他们的父母不能及时凑够钱把他们买回去,这些孩子很可能会被卖到外地,甚至外国。

In my country, the job of the press and electronic media is to promote the government, not to report the truth. The education system is tasked with instructing the people to be loyal to the government and keeping the people ignorant, not with disseminating knowledge. As a result, many people have never grown up intellectually even though they are adults. Even today, many people in my country still are nostalgic for the catastrophic Cultural Revolution that ended over thirty years ago and still promote the cult of personality. Some people still deny that the unprecedented great famine of the early 1960s ever occurred, and insist that the millions of deaths by starvation is a fabrication.

在这个国家,报纸和电视的责任不是报道真相,而是为政府做广告。教育的目的不是传授知识,而是教人愚蠢,教人效忠政府。这种教育和宣传,让 许多人都活在未成年状态,他们有成年人的身体,但在精神上,就像是世事懵懂的孩子,时至今日,还有许多人在怀念文革,鼓吹个人崇拜,还有一些人认为那场空 前绝后的大饥荒纯属子虚乌有,只是某些阴险小人阴险的编造。

In my country, every academic undertaking must serve the interests of the government. Academics must fabricate history in accordance with the government’s political interests. Economists must develop economic theories to support the government’s political agenda. In my country, leaders invent truths and their pronouncements are applied to every field of human endeavor, be it political, economic, cultural, or even animal husbandry.

在这个国家,每一种学问都必须为政治服务,政治需要什么样的历史,学者就会创作什么样的历史;政治需要有什么样的经济学,学者就会发明什么 样的经济学;大人物可以随意发明真理,这些真理适用于任何一个领域,能够指导这个国家的政治工作、经济工作、文化工作,甚至能够指导动物交配。

In my country, the government claims to have eradicated classes, but in reality, class divisions are glaringly obvious. The highest class enjoys exclusively produced foods while the lower classes are left to consume contaminated and dangerous products. Children of the dominant class study at opulent private schools, while children of the second-class study at ordinary schools. The third class attend shabby schools for migrant workers and the fourth class, well, they don’t get to go to school at all.

这个国家号称消灭了阶级,事实上,一个壁垒森严的阶级社会已经形成,上等人吃特供食品,下等人只能吃肮脏而有害的食品。第一等级的人就读豪华而昂贵的贵族学校,第二等级的人就读普通学校,第三等级的人就读简陋的民工学校,第四等级的人基本没机会读书。

My county takes delight importing the latest jet airplanes and providing aid to foreign countries, despite destitute beggars roaming the land at home, despite many of her people being unable to afford medical care, despite many children being too poor to go to school and despite a huge number of people living in poverty.

这个国家最喜欢干的事就是买飞机,经常慷慨地对外援助,但在自己的国土上,乞丐四处流浪,许多人看不起病,许多孩子读不起书,还有许多人正活在可耻的贫穷之中。

In my country, informing on others is encouraged. The government has a secret dossier on every single citizen which records everything about us until the day we die—from innocent remarks about us to unsubstantiated accusations as well as many things we don’t even know about ourselves. Secret agents in factories, schools and residential neighbourhoods covertly record everything people say and do. The atmosphere is oppressive—people do not trust the government, employees do not trust employers, students don’t trust teachers, and wives do not trust husbands.

这个国家鼓励告密,政府为每个人都建立了一份秘密档案,档案中记录了从生到死的每一个变化、别人的评价以及许多当事人自己都不知道的事。在 工厂、在学校、在街头,密探们正秘密地观察每个人的言行。这里的空气压抑而紧张,民众不相信政府,员工不相信老板,学生不相信老师,妻子不相信丈夫。

In my country, there is a strange system that rewards liars, and with the passage of time, people have become accustomed to lying. People lie as naturally as they breathe, to the point that lying has become a virtue.

这个国家有一种奇怪的制度,总是让说谎者得到奖赏,久而久之,每个人都对谎言习以为常,每个人都主动说谎,说谎甚至成了一种美德。

In my country, writing is a dangerous occupation. People are sent to prison for writing essays, or saying a few words of truth. Writers are not allowed to talk about history, or to criticise the present, let alone fantasise about the future. Many words cannot be written, many things cannot be spoken, and many issues cannot be mentioned. Every book has to go through a rigid censorship regime before it can be published. Many books are banned in my country, and then become bestsellers overseas.

在这个国家,写作成了一种危险的事业有人因为写文章而入狱,有人因为说了某句真话而入狱。作家不能评述历史,不能批判现实,更不能幻想未 来。许多字不能写,许多话不能说,许多事件不能提及,每一本书的出版都要经过严格的政治审查,许多书被查禁,然后它们就会成为国外的畅销书。

My country is capable of launching a satellite into space but not of building a safe bridge across a river. My country is capable of building palatial government offices yet condemns children to substandard schoolhouses. My country provides millions of luxury cars to government official yet few safe school buses for children. Only two days ago in Gansu province in China’s northwest, 64 children were crammed into a nine-seat school bus. Then there was an accident and nineteen of them died. Most of these children came from poor families. They had never been to a McDonalds, a KFC, or a zoo. Their lives ended tragically before they even started.

这个国家可以把卫星送入太空,却造不好一座桥。这个国家可以把政府大楼造成金碧辉煌的宫殿,却让孩子们坐在摇摇欲倒的危房之中。这个国家有 无数豪华的行政座驾,却没有一辆坚固的校车。就在两天之前,在中国甘肃,一辆只有坐9个人的校车塞进了64个孩子,然后很不幸地遇到了车祸,19个孩子因 此而死。这些孩子大多来自最贫穷的家庭,他们还没有吃过一次麦当劳和肯德基,还没有去过一次动物园,他们的人生还没有开始,却已经过早地结束了。

In my country, extravagant structures have been built one after another to host one extravagant event after another. However, many citizens considered “dangerous elements” are forced to leave their own homes in tears whenever such an event is held. Yet, government officials insist that these people leave their homes voluntarily.

这个国家最近几年举办了多次盛会,为此建造了大量美仑美奂的场馆,然而每次开幕之前,都会有许多‘危险分子’眼含热泪离开自己的家,官方发言人说:他们自愿离开,没有人强迫他们。

My country has one of the largest bureaucracies in the world. Most of these bureaucrats are either bribing or taking bribes. Power is being abused in every way imaginable and turned into a money-generating tool. According to publicly available reports, enormous amounts of public funds are wasted on sumptuous banquets, luxury trips and expensive cars provided to these bureaucrats. We are talking about 900 billion yuan or over US$140 billion a year. Some may ask: Why don’t the taxpayers say no to this practice? I’m sorry, the concept of taxpayers’ rights doesn’t exist in my country. All we have is the term “the people.”

这个国家有全世界是庞大的官僚队伍,他们中的绝大多数都在贪污或受贿,每一种权力都被污染,成为致富的法宝或伤人的利器。根据公开的报道, 每年有大量的财富用于这些官僚的吃喝、旅游和公车消费(每年九千亿人民币)。或许有人会问:纳税人为什么不反对?抱歉,在这个国家,没有纳税人这个词,有 的只是‘人民’。

Some may say, well, this is nothing to get excited about, because corruption exists in every country, at any time. I agree. But still, I want to say that if there were degrees to measure the rampancy of corruption, then the difference between five degrees and a hundred degrees is not merely a difference in readings—the former shows minor defects, but my country’s rampant corruption means disaster. I also want to add: It’s wrong to suggest my compatriots should put up with corruption simply because corruption exists elsewhere.

有人会说,这些事不足为奇,任何一个国家都会有,任何一个国家都曾经有过。我承认,但还是要说,如果腐败可以分度数,那么5度腐败和100 度腐败的差别不仅是个数字,前者还可以算是瑕疵,而后者已经成了灾难。我还要说,不能因为别的国家有腐败,就认为中国人应该忍受这种腐败。

Chinese people don't deserve a better life because “the quality of the Chinese people” is low. Believe me, people who say this are themselves of low quality. The Chinese people should not be given too much freedom due to China’s “unique situation.” Believe me, people who say this are themselves perpetuating China’s “unique situation”. Stability is what China needs the most, not freedom, not human rights. Believe me, people who say this are themselves contributing to instability.

难道因为中国人的素质太低,所以不配享有更美好的生活吗?请你相信,说这话的人,他自己的素质就很低;难道因为中国的独特国情,所以不能给 民众以太多自由吗?请你相信,说这话的人,他自己就是国情;难道中国最需要的真的不是自由,也不是人权,而是稳定吗?在这里,我请你相信,说这话的人,他 自己就是不稳定的因素。

At the end of 2009 I infiltrated a gang of pyramid scammers. After spending some time living with them, I realised that the world of pyramid selling is Chinese society in miniature. A Chinese scholar once defined this kind of society as being in a “primitive state,” a society that is comprised of three kinds of people: liars, the deaf and the mutes. The good news is that Chinese society is moving forward —now there are more and more liars and we’re running out of the deaf and the mute.

2009年底,我混进了一个传销团伙,在其中生活了一段时间之后,我发现传销团伙几乎就是中国社会的缩影,一位中国学者曾经对此做过精准的 论述,他把这种社会称为‘前现代社会’,主要有三种人构成:骗子、傻子和哑巴。不过令人高兴的是,中国已经进步了,情况发生了深刻的变化,那就是:骗子越 来越多,傻子和哑巴都快不够用了。

The English scholar Henry Maine refers to the transition from individuals bound by social status or belonging to traditional social castes, to a modern world where people are independent entities free to make contracts on their own, as the progression of "from status to contract." If this progression is the benchmark for entering a modern civilised society, then China is still a nation in a primitive state.

英国学者亨利·梅因先生曾把从身份到契约的转变视为现代文明社会的标志。按这个标准,中国还有很长的路要走。

My country was entirely a status-oriented society just over twenty years ago. What a person could do depended not on that person’s intelligence and competency. Rather, it depended on who that person’s father was. During the Cultural Revolution, if someone was deemed a “son of a bitch,” then his son would be deemed a “son of a bitch,” and many years later his grandson would also be deemed a “son of a bitch.”

就在二十多年前,中国还是一个完全的身份主导型社会,在那个社会中,一个人能做什么,能做出什么成绩,不是取决于他本人的能力和素质,而是取决于他爸爸是谁。如果某人是个王八蛋,他的儿子也必是个王八蛋,很多年后,他的孙子依然是个王八蛋。

Twenty years on, is there any progress? Yes, there is, but not much.

在二十多年之后,情况有了什么变化?我要说,有所进步,可是进步不大。

In my country, the sons and grandsons of officials are still officials while second and third generation migrant workers are still migrant workers. All power, all business and all resources are monopolised. There is almost no hope for the sons of ordinary citizens to move up. There is no possibility of them ever becoming an Obama or a Steve Jobs.

在这个国家,政府官员的儿子、孙子依然做官,民工二代、民工三代依然是民工。到今天,中国社会已经成了一个以身份为主导的板结型社会,每一种权力、每一門生意、每一项资源都被彻底垄断,平民子弟几乎没有希望,他绝对没机会能成为奥巴马或乔布斯。

In my country, just striving for a normal life is difficult. In fact, in recent years life has become much harder for the urban population due to the heavy tax burden, exorbitant housing prices, high inflation and low wages. Driving a taxi previously provided a good income, but a taxi driver recently told me he had not eaten meat for several months. He sighed as we passed a luxury residential estate. “More and more skyscrapers are going up,” the driver said. “But why is my life getting harder and harder?”

在这个国家,人们即使只想过正常的生活也无比艰难。最近的几年,中国市民阶层的生活正日益艰难,沉重的税负、昂贵的房价,日益上涨的物价和 微薄的工资。在这个国家,开出租车可就在几个月之前,有位司机亲口告诉我:他已经有几个月没吃过肉了。当我们经过一片豪华住宅区,他这样感慨:这里的大楼 越建越多,为什么我的日子却一天比一天艰难?

My country has become the world’s largest consumer of luxury goods. And now, even living and dying in my country have become a luxury. A popular song encapsulates people’s anxieties:
Can’t afford to have children—caesarians cost five thousand and more
Can’t afford to go to school—a good school costs at least thirty K
Can’t afford an apartment—more than ten thousand for a meter of floor
Can’t afford to get married—no house, no car, no wedding, she’ll say
Can’t afford to get sick—medicine costs an arm and a leg
Can’t afford to die—cremation costs are through the sky

中国已经成了奢侈品消费大国,但更令人高兴的是,在这个国家,连死亡本身都已经成了昂贵的奢侈品。有一首歌谣极为生动地描述了人们的忧虑:‘生不 起,剖腹一刀五千几;读不起,选个学校三万起;住不起,一万多元一平米;娶不起,没房没车谁跟你;病不起,药费让人脱层皮;死不起,火化下葬一万几。’

Creativity never flourishes in a status-driven society. That’s why in every field of endeavor—industry, agriculture, commerce and culture—my country contributes few innovations and new ideas, but excels at counterfeits and imitations. I believe that without reforming this rotten system, China will continue to be a nation that contributes few innovations and new ideas to mankind. It may have a lot of money but there won’t be much culture left. It may become a mighty military power but it will still be incapable of making its people feel secure.

一个以身份为主导的社会,必然是一个缺乏创造力的社会,所以我们看到,无论在工业、农业、商业还是在文化艺术领域,中国人都绝少创新,有的 只是抄袭和模仿。我相信,如果不改革这糟糕的制度,在未来的几十年间,中国仍将是一个缺乏创新与发明的国度,它或许会有很多钱,但一定不会有太多文化;或 许会有强大的武力,但一定不会让它的国民感觉平安。

People in China have come up with a multitude of explanations for my country’s numerous problems. Those who want to hold onto power say China has problems because the Chinese are just a “low quality people.” Therefore, they have to be controlled and managed. Conservatives say China’s current problems result from the Chinese people abandoning traditional moral values. Some religious groups say China’s problems result from the Chinese not having any faith, and consequently commit evil because they do not fear the wrath of god.

谈到中国的种种问题,人们有各种各样的解释,恋权者说那是因为中国人的素质太低,保守者说那是因为伦理道德的缺失,某些宗教人士说那是因为中国人没有信仰。

In my view, everything stems from the rotten system. A system with no restraints on power can only lead to corruption; a system in which the law exists in name only turns the law into a deadly weapon high officials use to oppress the citizenry. In this system, the primary purpose of the police and the military is to maintain the political rulers in power and inspire terror, not for making people feel secure. In this system, no one takes responsibility for the past, present and future.

但在我看来,这一切都是因为我们有一个糟糕的制度,在这种制度之下,权力不受约束,只能渐趋腐败;法律形同虚设,它是权贵的利器,更是平民 的枷锁;在这种制度之下,警察和军队最大的作用是维护统治,只会让人们感觉更加恐惧,而不是更加安全;在这种制度之下,没人对历史负责,所以也就没人对现 在负责,更不会有人对未来负责。

In this system, people only care about short-term profits. In this system, not following the rules is the rule, and unscrupulous means are the only means in government and business so only the dirtiest players emerge victorious. In this system, everyone is a criminal so no one needs to repent. In this system, humiliation is felt by everyone, so no matter how much a “harmonious society” is promoted, the majority of people dream of escaping to a safe place.

在这种制度之下,人们只关心眼前的利益。在这种制度之下,不守规矩成了最大规矩,不择手段成了最好的手段,在官场,在商场,大多数竞争其实 都是底线的竞争,总是让卑鄙的人胜出;在这种制度之下,人人都在犯罪,却没人需要忏悔;在这种制度之下,每个人都会感觉屈辱,不管身边有多少‘和谐社会’ 的广告,大多数人想的都是同一件事:离开这里,到平安的地方去。

This rotten system is the mongrel of Stalinist-Maoism and Imperial Chinese political culture, a cross-breed of the rule of the jungle with traditional Chinese trickery and communism. Decades later, this creature now has become a monster. This monster is vain, tyrannical and arrogant. It never admits to mistakes. It destroys people in the name of justice and rehabilitates them, also in the name of justice. It takes credit for everything positive, and blames others for all failures. It wants to lord over everything and only tolerates one faith, faith in itself. This monster only allows praise to one thing, praise to itself. It owns every newspaper, every school, and every temple. Without its permission, even flowers may not bloom.

这糟糕的制度,斯大林—毛泽东主义和中国王朝政治的不伦之子,丛林法则、儒家权谋和共产主义的混血产品,经过几十年的发育,已经成长为一个 又大又丑的怪物,它虚荣、蛮横、自视甚高、从来不会认错,它打倒一个人是因为正义,给这个人平反,还是因为正义。一切好事都是它领导的,一切坏事都是因为 背叛了它的领导。它主宰一切,只允许一种信仰,那就是信仰它;只允许一种感谢,那就是感谢它;它拥有每一份报纸、每一所学校、每一座寺庙,没有它的允许, 连花朵都不能随便开放。

This monster may be frail, but it is still resilient. It is terminally ill, yet it still possesses lethal power. It is dumb yet is also extremely sensitive—the slightest breeze can set off anxiety attacks, trivial matters can ignite a towering rage. This rotten system is like a festering tumor that is poisoning every drop of blood and every nerve cell of my country, and will ultimately drag the entire nation towards catastrophe.

这个怪物既强壮又脆弱,既身患重病,却有着强大的杀伤力;既异常笨拙,又有着无比敏感的神经,一点风吹草动就能让它神经紧张,一件微不足道 的小事就能让它怒火中烧。这糟糕的制度,就像一个越来越大的毒瘤,毒害着每一滴血液、每一根神经,并将最终把整个国家拖入可怕的灾难之中。

Wars and man-made catastrophes over thousands of years have taught people one thing: Power is a monster that kills. Therefore, it must be caged. But rather than striving for a better system, many Chinese people are still dreaming of a wise and kind-hearted ruler—a not-so-vicious monster. I believe this dream will remain a dream because a monster will attack as long as it is not caged—it is the nature of the beast.

几千年的战争和杀戮之后,人类终于明白了一个道理:权力如同猛兽,随时可能暴起伤人。因此,必须把它关到笼子里。但在中国,大多数人总盼望 迷信明君贤相式的统治,总希望有一只不那么残暴的猛兽来统治他们。我觉得这是不可能实现的愿望,因为猛兽的野性尚存,随时准备择人而噬。

When this powerful monster roars, people become timid. They are content to be mute as long as they can survive. They neglect their own rights, and the rights of others. They stand by idly when their neighbour’s home is bulldozed. When their own homes are bulldozed, other people stand by idly.

当权力的野兽在身边咆哮,人们会变得格外谨慎,只要日子还能过得下去,他们就绝不会多说一句话。他们漠视自己的权利,也漠视别人的权利,邻居的房子被拆,他们若无其事地看着,等到他们自己的房子被拆,邻居们也在旁边若无其事地看着。

In a speech I delivered a month ago I spoke about the responsibilities of the Chinese people. I said: As citizens of our country, we must know that every one of us is an owner of our country. We are responsible for both its goodness and its flaws. We must not pretend we have nothing to do with China’s problems. We all live on the same planet and no one can stand by idly. When one person’s freedom is deprived, no one is free; when one person’s safety is jeopardised, no one is safe. Some people say China is a nation that behaves as if it doesn’t have a bottom line. I disagree. I believe there is a bottom line—we are the bottom line. This rotten system persists because we all have contributed to it, in one way or another— we are the system. If the system improves, that’s because we have worked on it. If the system gets worse, that’s also because we have contributed.

一个月前,我在一次演讲中谈到中国人的责任。我说,作为现代公民,我们应该知道,这国家有你的一份,它好,有你的一份,它不好,也有你的一 份,我们不能假装自己可以避开了这些问题。人类社会是一个整体,没人可以置身事外。一人不自由,则人人不自由。一人不安全,则人人不安全。有人说,中国是 一个没有底线的国家,这话不对,这国家并非没有低线,它以你我为低线。这糟糕的制度能够运行,是因为我们都曾经为之出过力,我们就是制度。如果它越来越 好,是因为我们都曾为之努力,如果它越来越坏,也是因为我们的努力。

To make this country a better country, we first must make ourselves better. A group of slaves can never build a great nation, but modern citizens can—citizens who are intelligent and responsible. They not only love themselves, but also their country. They not only care about their own rights but also the rights of others; they not only defend their own freedom, but also the freedom of others; they not only defend their houses, but also their neighbour’s houses. They will never evade their responsibilities and will speak out when everyone else is silenced; they will never stop advancing when everyone else halts in hesitation. To make ourselves better is an honourable process and we are bound to encounter setbacks and hardship. Despite hardship, more and more Chinese people now are aware of their responsibilities. They break the silence, speak the truth, and calmly make suggestions. Some are suffering for their actions but refuse to be cowered or silenced.

要想这个国家变好,首先要做的是让自己变好。一个美好的国家不是一群奴隶能够建成的,她需要许多聪明而有担当的人,这就是‘公民’二字的含 义。他们不仅爱自己,还爱国家;不仅关心自己的权利,也关心别人的权利;不仅捍卫自己的自由,也捍卫别人的自由。不仅捍卫自己的房子,也勇于捍卫邻居的房 子。他们在大众沉默之时敢于发出声音,他们在大众踟蹰之时敢于迈出脚步。把自己变好是一场光荣而艰难的事业,注定要经历挫折和磨难,但我们看到,有越来越 多的中国人开始明白自己的责任,他们从沉默中走出,诚实地说话,温和地建言,有些人因此而遭受不幸,但他们还在坚持,坚持在黑暗中发出孤独的声音。

Over two thousand years ago, Confucius said one should only serve the state if it is righteous, otherwise one should eschew serving the state. However, to become citizens of a modern society, I say we should criticize the government if it does not do the right thing, and we should also keep an eye on the government even if it is already doing the right thing. This is my belief and this is what will I do for the rest of my life.

两千多年前,孔夫子说过一句话:邦有道则仕,邦无道则隐。但作为一个现代公民,我们更应该这么说:邦无道,我们应该批评它,监督它,使之有道。邦有道,我们应该批评它,监督它,使之更加有道。这是我的理想,也是我的事业,我将终生为之努力。

Finally, I hope you believe me that I am not a class enemy, nor an over-thrower of governments. All I want is to cage the monster. Yes, I am criticizing my country, but that doesn’t mean I hate my country. Rather, I love my country. I love her splendid mountains and rivers and her great civilization. I appreciate the suffering she has experienced. In fact, I love my country even more because of the suffering she has been through. Yes, I am criticizing her rotten system, but I do not want to see bloodshed while my country is improving herself. I hope the system will improve gracefully. I hope in the near future, in my country, flowers of freedom will blossom and children will smile without fear. I hope in the near future, my country, an ancient civilization, a land of suffering, will become a nation of prosperity, peace and freedom, for all.

最后我要说,我不是阶级敌人,不是颠覆分子,我只是想把怪物关进笼子里。没错,我是在批评自己的国家,但这并不表示我恨这个国家,相反,我 爱我的祖国,我爱她壮丽的山河、辉煌的文明,也爱她的苦难,并将因为这苦难而加倍爱它。没错,我是在批评这糟糕的制度,但在这个制度变好的过程中我绝不希 望看到流血,我只希望可以使这制度温柔地变好。我有一个梦想,希望在不久的将来,花朵能在我的祖国自由绽放,中国的孩子可以尽情欢笑,中国,这古老的国 家,苦难钟爱之地,能够变成富足、和平而自由的国家。

Leadership’s control of thought is the most important

The Chinese Communist Party lives in another world or in another time.
The ideologues still dreams of a Great Socialist Revolution. They quote Comrade Mao: "the leadership’s control of thought is the most important leadership control."
The author of this article translated by Chinascope tells us: "Our Party has attached great importance to strengthening its position as the sole leader in the field of ideology ...For the Party to lead politically in the field of ideology, it must use the scientific theory of Marxism and the Party's strategies, principles, and policies to guide the development of socialist ideology; for the Party to maintain its leadership over thoughts in the field of ideology, it must vigorously promote socialist ideology, resist and criticize all erroneous thoughts, and ensure that socialist ideology gradually occupies the entire field of ideology."
The question is what is 'socialist ideology' in practice?
The Wall Street Journal recently reported about Chinese princelings: 

One evening early this year, a red Ferrari pulled up at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Beijing, and the son of one of China's top leaders stepped out, dressed in a tuxedo. Bo Guagua, 23, was expected. He had a dinner appointment with a daughter of the then-ambassador, Jon Huntsman.
The car, though, was a surprise. The driver's father, Bo Xilai, was in the midst of a controversial campaign to revive the spirit of Mao Zedong through mass renditions of old revolutionary anthems, known as "red singing." He had ordered students and officials to work stints on farms to reconnect with the countryside. His son, meanwhile, was driving a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and as red as the Chinese flag, in a country where the average household income last year was about $3,300.

This is probably was is known as 'socialism with Chinese characteristics'. 
Whether or not, Bo Xilai is be able to make it to the Standing Committee of the Politburo (one of the nine bosses of China) in 2012, the problem will remain the same. 
As we have seen in my previous posting, China is in turmoil and it is not ideology that will convince the people of China that their leaders are not sincere.
It is like in India, ministers exploiting mines in Jharkand, Goa or Karnataka, telling the people: "Anna Hazare is not representing the people. We are the legitimate representatives".
Who believes them?

Maintaining Tight Control over Ideology    
22 November 2011
Chinascope
[Editor’s Note: Qiushi Journal republished an article from the Contemporary World and Socialism magazine on the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) control over ideology work, which includes establishing, deciding on, shaping, and disseminating ideology. [1] The author, Wang Yonggui, is a scholar at the School of Marxist Studies at Nanjing Normal University. In the article, Wang stressed that the Party’s control over ideology “cannot be loosened for a single moment” and that “strengthening the Party’s sole leadership over work in ideology is an important weapon for the CCP’s success.” The following are excerpts from the article.]

I. Emphasizing the Strategic Importance of Ideology Work and Tightly Controlling Its Direction
Managing ideology work has always been a very important function for our Party. Missteps in managing the economy will cause big problems. Missteps in managing ideology will also cause big problems. Therefore, we should not slacken in our work on ideology while focusing on economic development. Strengthening the Party’s sole leadership over ideology, firmly controlling the direction of that ideology, and strengthening our motivation and foresight are important magic weapons for our continued victories.

1. Establish a central standing organization and strengthen the Party's control over ideology. Back when the Chinese Communist Party was first established in 1921, our Party created a propaganda agency responsible for propaganda and agitation and for promoting revolutionary development. After the Sixth CCP Congress, the Central Propaganda Department became a permanent branch (of the government) and assumed its responsibilities and functions as the supreme organization for propaganda, for the education of the whole country, and for the political thought education of CCP cadres and the general public. In July 1942, Comrade Mao Zedong stressed that "the leadership’s control of thought is the most important leadership control."

2. Strengthen the development of the CCP organization and consolidate the Party's leadership over ideology. Our Party has attached great importance to strengthening its position as the sole leader in the field of ideology, which has been achieved mainly through the Party's political leadership, leadership over thoughts, and its organizational leadership. For the Party to lead politically in the field of ideology, it must use the scientific theory of Marxism and the Party's strategies, principles, and policies to guide the development of socialist ideology; for the Party to maintain its leadership over thoughts in the field of ideology, it must vigorously promote socialist ideology, resist and criticize all erroneous thoughts, and ensure that socialist ideology gradually occupies the entire field of ideology; for the Party to execute its organizational leadership  in the field of ideology, it must establish Party organizations in all ideology sectors. These organizations will be responsible for publicizing and implementing the Party's strategies, principles, and policies, especially the establishment of the propaganda departments from the central to the local Party committees at all levels. …
Because of the extreme importance of ideology, we must regard the improvement of the CCP’s ability to lead in ideology as the keystone to improving our ability as a ruling Party, and we must firmly control the Party’s leadership over ideology. This is the key to maintaining the invincible position of our Party and our socialist cause.

II. Responding to Confrontation between Ideologies and Scientifically Controlling the Correct Direction of the Development of Ideology
We must carry out a clear-cut battle between the two opposing ideologies (socialist ideology vs. the capitalist ideology) to provide a powerful guarantee that the direction of our reform and opening-up policy will be correct. Since the reform and opening-up, our Party has attached great importance to the confrontation and struggle between ideologies, actively responded to domestic and overseas challenges, and scientifically led in the development of ideology. Deng Xiaoping stressed that "liberalization itself is bourgeois; there is no such thing as proletarian or socialist liberalization. ... Promoting liberalization will lead us to the capitalist path." This suggested that fighting bourgeois liberalization is a long-term task. … Since the beginning of the 21st century, in responding to some erroneous thoughts and views questioning the current reform and the Party's basic policies, the Central Propaganda Department and other departments have edited “The Six Whys - the Answers to Several Major Issues," "Seven ‘How to Understand,’" and the "Learning Guide on Drawing ‘Four Major Boundaries’" to help cadres and the general public clarify some major issues and consciously resist the infiltration of erroneous ideas.

III. Actively Moving the Development of Ideology Forward with Innovative Styles and Methods
We should use propaganda, education, and scientific indoctrination to enhance the attractiveness and fighting power of Marxism-Leninism. Lenin once pointed out that, in the course of the proletarian revolutionary struggle, "socialist consciousness is something instilled from outside of the proletarian class struggle, rather than spontaneously generated from the struggle itself." Using Lenin's "concept of indoctrination" as our guide, our Party has actively promoted positive education, vigorously disseminated Marxism and the theory of the new democratic revolution, and strongly accelerated the process of democratic revolution.

IV. Consolidating the Social Foundation for Developing Ideology
We need to combine the sole leadership over socialist ideology with the concept of the diversity of cultural development. Since the reform and opening up, the development of social thoughts has been very active, and social consciousness has become diversified. This requires us to handle the relationship between the sole leadership over socialist ideology and the diversity of cultural values.
We should combine the development of socialist ideology with our efforts to expand the opening-up and development of the socialist market economy. Since the reform and opening-up began, we have adhered to the development of socialist ideology. At the same time we also expanded the opening-up and development of the market economy. As a whole, we correctly handled the relationship between the development of ideology and the expansion of the policy of opening-up and developing the socialist market economy. In fact, we prevented the ideology "centralization" and "enforcement" theories, and also paid attention to guarding against the ideology "useless" and "dilution" theories.
In all, since the establishment of the CCP 90 years ago, our experience and history in controlling  ideology tells us that the strategic position and function of managing ideology should not be neglected and that the Party's leadership over ideology cannot be relaxed. We must unswervingly adhere to Marxism as our guide in the field of ideology and scientifically educate and correctly guide the changes in people's moral and value systems.

Source: Qiushi Journal, “The Chinese Communist Party’s 90 Years of Experiences in Managing Ideology Work,” September 5, 2011.
http://www.qstheory.cn/zz/zgtsshzyll/201109/t20110906_108391.htm.