President Hu’s Honor and Disgraces
The 17th National People’s Congress taking place this week in Beijing has solidified President Hu’s grip on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and insured his ideological musing will be engraved alongside those espoused by previous leaders of China. Calling for a “harmonious society” that implements the “scientific concept of development,” President Hu’s moralistic yet vague proclamations also provide cover for the real issue at hand: no one knows how the most critical decisions regarding China’s future are being handled and whether or not economic or environmental reform will actually be implemented. While the “democratically” elected People’s Congress with ethnic minority representatives in full native dress put on a good show, they are mainly there to give a nod of approval to predetermined policy. No one has the slightest clue as to what goes on behind the closed doors of the Politburo.
Even though transparency within the CCP’s decision-making process will not come to light in the near future, President Hu looks good on paper. The China Daily has recently put together an impressive collection of propaganda articles that introduces us to the lighter side of President Hu. My favorite part has to be the slide show entitled “President Hu meets people.” Truly inspirational. Even though the China Daily still remains a mouthpiece for the CCP, they did surprisingly post a few articles criticizing the government’s inability to implement a green GDP system and highlighting how the complaint bureau remains the busiest office in Beijing due to widespread corruption. Luckily President Hu is “meeting people” and has called for officials to remain, “sober-minded, firm in politics, [and] pragmatic in style of work.” What a fine man we have at the helm of the most populous nation in the world. I already feel myself being lulled into indifference.
Luckily this ambiguous situation provides plenty of fodder for China pundits and graduate students forcing out dissertations around the world. Everyone wants to take a whack at the good old CCP chopping block. Fortunately I do not feel qualified to unravel such a skein. My only wish is to blindly submit myself to the nationwide morality drive implemented by President Hu last year concerning the eight honors and disgraces of society: Love the country, do it no harm; Serve the people, never betray them; Follow science, discard superstition; Be diligent, not indolent; Be united, help each other, make no gains at other’s expense; Be honest and trustworthy, do not sacrifice ethics for profit; Be disciplined and law-abiding, not chaotic and lawless; Live plainly, work hard, do not wallow in luxuries and pleasures. Sounds good to me but let’s see what happens.