LIFE IN CHINA; POLITICS Let me begin by saying that Im really not much of a political animal. My father didnt ascribe to one party or another; he said that we should vote for the best man (or woman). It wasnt necessary to belong to any particular party. To this day, I am neither Democrat nor Republican. Im American. Of course, the Chinese dont enjoy the luxury of a multi-party system. There is only one “party”, and thats the CCP (Chinese communist party). Period. They lay down the rules (laws) without having to go through something like congress (sounds a lot like what our sorry excuse for a president wants to do, doesnt it?) and thats that. The people go along with whatever the govt tells them to do. They have no recourse if they dont like a particular law; they dont have the 2nd Amendment working for them. They simply bow their heads and go along with “the party.” Again, this sounds like what our current government would like to see us do. But...weve got guns. The people here accept whatever their government tells them without any argument. In fact, theyve come to rely on the govt for just about everything. I hear lots of this sort of thing... ”We need more teachers, especially in the small countryside (rural) schools. The govt needs to do something about that...” The cost of food is rising, along with electricity. The govt needs to do something...” There arent enough jobs. The govt needs to do something...” And so on and on, ad nauseum. They want and expect the govt to do EVERYTHING for them. I get really tired of hearing about it. Ive asked some people why they dont do something about these problems themselves? They just stare at me, as if they didnt understand the question. Their feeling is that the govt takes care of everyone from cradle to grave. Period. They expect it; they want it. I call them a “nation of sheep” because thats exactly what they are. The govt has its hand in virtually every aspect of their lives (its done this since the time of the legendary emperor, Huang-Ti) – from the cost of toilet paper to the raising of crops, cost of automobiles, the educational system, healthcare, availability of jobs, ability to open new businesses...everything. And the govt makes damned sure it gets its cut. There are still a lot of older folks who remember what it was like just after WWII and during the early days of Maos revolution. Currently, Mao is not held in the highest regard, especially by the younger people. For that matter, many of them arent real wild about the CCP, either – but they do well to keep quiet about it. There are no elected officials of any kind. Cities, counties, and provinces are all managed by govt appointees. And graft is so common that its become an accepted way of life. If you want something done, you have to know whose palm to grease. Hard-line communism isnt clearly evident anymore. The communists figured out long ago that people are more content and will work harder if you pay them more money and make creature comforts available. When I was first in China in 1982 (shortly after the end of the Cultural Revolution), I visited a factory worker in his home. On his wall he showed us a nice certificate that had been given to him by the factory. It said hed done an outstanding job and he was very proud of that red-stamped piece of paper. I turned to one of my group (all Americans) and whispered, “Someday, hes going to realize that he cant feed his family with that piece of paper and he wont be satisfied with that stuff anymore. Hell want more money – and if he doesnt get it, hell quit trying so hard to do a good job.” My words were prophetic. Thats what eventually happened... so the govt started providing bonuses and raises to employees who proved their worth. And that aint communism. Within a few years, people saved enough money to buy televisions and even automobiles! They even bought houses – although you can own your house for only 70 years. After that, it reverts back to the state. Aint socialism grand? Those who think socialism is a good thing should come live here for six months (if theyve got the guts). Its easy to praise socialism when youre living in a (relatively, for now) free nation and munching a pizza. Its quite another thing to have to live it.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Nov 2014 22:45:34 +0000
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