Are the Chinese people affected by myths that surround their understanding of the Communist Party of China? Let us examine that hypothesis.
An entire generation has grown up since the 4th June, 1989, a date etched on the minds of all people. Yet, today, the country remains paralyzed under the iron grip of oppressive rule.
The government has not only failed to make any real political changes, but is now repressing dissidents more severely, such that we must wonder whether a revolution is possible soon. Are the Egyptians, Libyans, etc., more courageous than the Chinese?
Deng Xiaoping chose to create a path leading to economic development, and the people have been bought by this economic liberalization. He was very perceptive in securing one-party rule by promising prosperity in exchange for people’s political rights.
The Party has built a huge propaganda machine, which is used to mislead and confuse people. There are two aspects of this; It makes people believe that the Party alone has brought prosperity, rather than the people’s skill and hard work. It promotes the idea that the country would be lost and in total confusion without the Party, creating a fear of chaos, forgetting that the Party has been the root of chaos during the past sixty years.
Deng has been quoted as saying, “Nip the dissident voice in the bud.” And, now, the current leader, has not only continued Deng’s policy, but has developed additional means of creating terror.
World pro-democracy leaders believe that the Party can be reformed, and that dialogue is the way to deal with the problem, but this displays a limited understanding of the Party, by hoping that changes may happen from internal influences.
Is there any hope? Of course there is but, first, we must do away with these myths. In other words, China’s economic development is not due to the Communist Party.
Taiwan and Hong Kong created economic success for themselves decades ago ... without the assistance of a communist government. Russians and Eastern Europeans have removed communist rule without any chaos. It is quite humorous to hear that the leaders believe that China has a democratic system of government with a harmonious society, but a system with “Chinese characteristics”.
It is now the turn of the Chinese people, the ordinary people, to heed the words of a famous Greek philosopher, “The secret of happiness is freedom, and the secret of freedom is courage”.
I was emboldened to write this piece, and gratefully acknowledge a similar piece by Cao Changqing, a political commentator in the U.S., as it occurred to me that the content of his original comments would not survive the Chinese ‘firewall’. Perhaps, my own comment will suffer the same fate.
