From: s9874194@phobos.ucc.umass.edu (s9874194)
Subject: Re: I'm very disappointed in Chinese
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:36:00 GMT

In article <1992Sep1.153136.8661@engage.pko.dec.com>, li@sicvax.enet.dec.com (Tong-Kang Li) writes...
> 
>In article <1992Sep1.113239.12546@cs.mu.OZ.AU>, dht@mulga.cs.mu.oz.au (Joyous Dave) writes...
>>I'm very disappointed in Chinese people.
> 
>40 years of brutal ruling by CCP has brought such bad memory to us. Many 
>Chinese have become either cynical or silent towards China, particularly 
>Tienanmen incident is still not far away. Who to blame?
> 
=========================================================================
Tom, I can not agree with you here. We have our own problem. We should not
blame somebody else. Just like you would not be justified for your wrong
doing just because somebody else did something wrong to you. Besides, the
problem Joyce Dave mentioned has been long in our nation's history. As Lu
Xun once pointed out, it is the "Min2 Zu2 Lue4 Gen1 Xing4". We would be
able to change the country without change ourselves first.
c.q.
========================================================================
>>I want to improve China, improve its people's living standard,
>>improve its productivity, improve its economy, improve its
>>stand in the world.  And I asked people to contribute suggestions
>>to how to improve China.
> 
>But deep down, I think most Chinese still would like to see China one day 
>becomes free, democratic, and wealthy nation. Now China surrounds by Japan, 
>Taiwan, S. Korea, HK, Singapore which have been economic powerhouses and 
>have hugh cash reserves and technology. These can be very helpful for her 
>economic development. 
> 
>I think China should stop wasting time on ideology, put it aside and full 
>speed on economic development. In the meantime, loose control on her people, 
>release all political prisoners and prepare for the political reform, 
>multi-party systems, freedom of press, free election etc are just very basic 
>things. Self-examine herself why so many people on Taiwan or other Chinese 
>regions have tremendous resentments towards China and want to break away 
>from her. Beijing should give more spaces to Taiwan or other Chinese regions 
>and dont push them to the corner. One day, China becomes free, democratic, 
>and wealthy nation, Taiwan or other Chinese regions may be happy to come 
>home. Otherwise, breakup of China may be a solution.
> 
>All of these require fundamental changes which are far more important than 
>just building new highways or export factories.
> 
>Tom
I agree that we need fundamental changes. But I believe the changes should
be mentally, from grassroot. For example, almost everybody in the net has
been talking about democracy. But, ask ourselve, do we really understand
the democratic principles? Look at how furious, how flame people are when
they meet different opinion, you will get the answer. In the early 80's,
the students in QingHua proposed that "Start from now and Start from our-
selves." Too bad it was used as a propaganda tool by CCP. I think we still
could utilize it if we give it new meaning.
About the economic and political changes in China, I agree with you that
those two can not be separated from each other. Because of it, greater
political freedom will and has to follow greater economic development.
I may be wrong. But I still remember the cruelty of French Revolution.
Even it was cruel, it is still regarded as the beginning of today's
democracy. In the early days of the United States, blacks were not treated
democraticly, did not have the equel rights as white even the probably
Greates Constituion writes the "Men are created equal." Do not misunder-
stand me, please. I am not saying CCP is equal to French revolution or
American funding fathers. What all I am saying is that be patient and
optimistic. The fast economic growth we see today in China may be the
prelude of the graduate democratic changes departing away from the 
authoritarianism which has been dominating our national culture and
politics for two thousand years.