November 21, 2004
WE CAN TAMP DOWN THE STEAM SO THAT NONE ESCAPES...:
In China, stresses spill over into riots: Beijing responds with a new campaign after at least eight recent violent incidents. (Robert Marquand, 11/22/04, CS Monitor)
Certainly the campaign for the "construction of a harmonious society" itself indicates a newly recognized lack of social harmony at the official level, experts say, in a country where "stability" is a paramount value. The absence of order in China is feared at a far deeper psychological level than in Asian nations like South Korea, where strikes and protests are daily political fare.The government's new campaign includes official visits to hot spots, demands that back pay be given to workers, and editorials framing the social tension as "grim."
A Xinhua editorial two weeks ago, one surely approved at a high level, describes China at a pivot point that will lead either to a "golden age of development," or a "contradictions-stricken age" of chaos.
"China is at the crossroads," says Lu Xueyi, director of sociology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, quoting officials in the China Daily. "It can either smoothly evolve into a medium-level developed country or it can spiral into stagnation and chaos."
Whether the strikes are a harbinger of larger social crises is a cause for debate in Beijing. Those who argue not say China is still a nominal police state, capable of shutting down or buying off locals. Some point to a lack of honed principles among the aggrieved that would sustain a protest.
When you think that your totalitarianism is an advantage you're headed over the cliff. Posted by Orrin Judd at November 21, 2004 7:55 PM
This reminds me of a conversation I had a number of years ago with a very smart friend of mine in Shanghai. Having heard that Taiwanese legislators periodically had public fistfights over political differences, he asked me why democratic politics in Taiwan was so chaotic. It was obvious he feared instability. I replied that compared with China, Taiwan's politics was only superficially unstable, and although far from flawless was much more stable than China's. In Taiwan, I said, "In the midst of chaos is stability." Taiwan was creating democatic political institutions for its citizens to air their political differences and let off steam. I then said that, in contrast, Chinese politics could be characterized by the observation that "In the midst of stability is chaos." China was like a gargantuan pressure cooker just waiting to explode, because its autocratic political system allowed no politically safe way for society to let off steam. My Shanghainese friend mulled over this, and thought it made sense. Subsequently, he immigrated to Australia.
Posted by: X at November 21, 2004 8:32 PMGotta love those Chinese slogans:
Give me "golden age of development," or give me bust (I mean "contradictions-stricken age")!
Yeah, that'll work with people who need the government to ride in and demand "that back pay be given to workers."
Posted by: Randall Voth at November 22, 2004 4:57 AMThe CP-PRC is pulling out all the stops to preserve its hegemony over the centrifugal parts of China. Even the movies are not immune as anyone who saw 'Hero' can tell you.
The Chinese do prefer stability more than we do, but they are no more willing to countenance an incompetent corrupt police state any more than we are. If the CP-PRC wishes to protect its turf, it better make with the economic growth and expanded opportunity real fast. The nomenklatura simply must be more responsive to 'Old Hundred Names' or the system is doomed.
Posted by: Bart at November 22, 2004 7:15 AMOf course, the irony here is that, just as old Marx said about modes of production, the Chinese Communist state contains the seeds of its own destruction. Let's just hope it doesn't pull down the free world along with it.
Posted by: X at November 22, 2004 8:30 AMDisorder came from order, fear came from courage, weakness came from strength.
Sun Tzu
Posted by: mike earl at November 22, 2004 11:16 AM