The Chinese Communist Party

I picked up the book titled 有话跟党说 (or I Have Something to Say to the Party, Tongxin Publishing House, 2001), expected to be swarmed by endless Chinese communist propaganda.

I was not disappointed.

Published on the 80th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the book is full of inspirational accounts of countless ordinary party members who had devoted or even sacrificed their lives to live up to the various ideals of being a CCP member. These include total devotion to work, to the masses, and to the cause of the Party.

Sure, the book was full of endless praises and adulations about the CCP, as well as the noble and altruistic acts of Party members.

But yet, it touched me in a least expected way. Or at least I had mixed feelings after reading it. Or at the very least, I actually read many parts of the book carefully, instead of simply flipping through it and moving on to the next book, which was my original intention.

Certainly, the various accounts of self-sacrifice, whether of time, energy, and resources by CCP members in assisting those in need, and in devoting themselves to their communities were touching, even inspirational.

But I have mixed feelings about attributing these admirable human qualities to the "mission, guidance and far-sightedness" of the CCP. After all, there will always be a noble edge to humanity, and to attribute that edge to the CCP is to undermine the depth and intensity of humanity, and to over-elevate the importance of CCP.

Yet, in a country as vast as China, the CCP did indeed serve as a unifying factor, arguably more so in the initial days of the New Republic. This unifying factor came in the form of fighting external forces, inculcating a sense of idealism, making a difference to society, extending a helping hand to those in need, maintaining close ties with the masses, and creating a more equitable society.

These are ideals which have made a difference in the past, and despite what some see as gradual erosion within the CCP, is still alive in some segments of the population, especially among the older generation, and rural dwellers.

The older generation had witnessed how the country and their lives had been transformed, generally for the better under the CCP. Rural dwellers, on the other hand, whose lives have been positively transformed by the CCP are often grateful to the CCP not just in the past but also for generations to come.

I guess the point that I am trying to make here is - sure, the CCP has become corrupted, decadent and out of touch with the needs and thinking of the masses. This is an accurate depiction of CCP, but it represents merely one side of the coin.

The other side of the coin consists of CCP members who are uncorrupted, idealistic, and actively doing their best to make a difference to the lives of those around them. Whether it is the retired party member who spends all his free time guiding traffic on the road and not accepting any payment for his work, or a party member who helps the sick and elderly by raising funds to pay for their medical bills.

How the CCP will transform, or even survive, will depend on which side of the coin will prevail.

My own sense is that the stronger and corrupted side of the coin is more likely to prevail, though the weaker side of the coin might play a role in stemming the rapid decline and deterioration of the Party.