Google, would you translate this for me?

Google Mis-Translate

Google, do the world a favor and get the heck out of the translation business. You are worse than useless.

I got an email from a friend today with a link to an article. This is how a section of the article appeared in the original Chinese:

《爆日悯人》：“人犬牌”无法撼动肿锅稳定

《爆日悯人》：“人犬牌”无法撼动肿锅稳定。

Google then prompted me "Would you like to translate it?" and I clicked the "Translate" button.  This is the translation I got:

Benjamin "burst": "people dog license" can not shake the stability of the swollen pot

"Explosive Benjamin": "people dog card" can not shake the stability of the swollen pot.

That made no sense.  It couldn't be right. So I emailed my friend back. His response:

"I don't see "Explosive Benjamin" in it. It must be a funny mistake made by Google translation. If you mean the title:

《爆日悯人》：“人犬牌”无法撼动肿锅稳定, I can only translate it as "Have Mercy on the Day of Explosion" : The Police Shields Can Never Change the Instability."

There is NO "Benjamin" there. How could they possibly have gotten "Benjamin" out of that?  I don't know.  Google, you are L-A-M-E, get outta here.

     -Explosive Benjamin.

                                                                     
New York police and prosecutors have obtained a confession from Pedro Hernandez and have arrested him in connection with the death of Neil Heywood. In addition, we have learned from a source in Beijing, who got it from a lieutenant colonel he recently had dinner with, that Chinese authorities have deemed Bo Xilai a "comrade of interest" in the death of Etan Patz. Chinese and American authorities are working in a "spirit of cooperation" on these investigations according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. 

Etan Patz.

"Long Road for NYC Prosecutors in Etan Patz Case."-Wall Street Journal.
"Some FBI Officials Unconvinced that Hernandez is Responsible For Death."-CBS.

Thirty years in this business, I have never heard of a murder case based solely on a confession. First time for everything, I guess. Right?

Did they really arrest somebody for murder, for this murder, after 33 years, on a confession and nothing else? No pedophilia, no history, no circumstantial evidence? The guy had never been a suspect before? Excuse me, a "person of interest," before?  When Jose Ramos, Othniel-whatever-his-name-was, the parents, when Etan's parents had been considered "persons of interest," when everybody in a mile radius of the Patz' residence was considered a suspect at one time or another?  All of that and Pedro Hernandez was never a suspect?  Never even interviewed? And now he's the guy? He's arrested?  What about the victorious civil suit against Jose Ramos?  No? Jose Ramos isn't the guy? Pedro Hernandez is the guy? Okay, first time for everything, I guess. Right?

Hey, listen NYPD, Manhattan prosecutors, you guys take best of care, alright?  Good luck.  Best of luck. 

Mindful that the original meaning of statistics (in German) was "political arithmetic," that I don't know the political leanings of Rex Nutting, nor of Market Watch (although both are affiliated with the conservative Wall Street Journal), and that the higher forms of arithmetic were a perfect novelty to me, I offer the following image, courtesy of Mr. Nutting and Market Watch, mindful that a jpeg is worth a thousand words:

I was surprised, as Nutting said most of us would be.  My guess is that most Americans would feel more favorably toward President Obama if they saw this.

I do not.  In my opinion the four blue bars should be much taller given the economy that Obama inherited. I believe more government spending would have done better to get America out of the recession and done it quicker (My guess is that most Americans don't agree with that.)

There has been a percolating sense here that Barack Obama didn't know quite what to do about the economy when he became president, that as a thoughtful, intelligent man he listened to the advice presented to him, that he still didn't know quite what to do and, mindful that he didn't want to be labeled a tax-and-spend ideologue (ideologues are sure of what to do), he "steered a middle course."  There is a percolating sense here (the percolator is the monthly jobs reports) that the middle course was not the safe course nor the correct course and there is an abiding conviction that the president has not been able to avoid being labeled a tax-and-spend ideologue.  Thus instead of getting the "best of both worlds" by the sagacious middle course the president has gotten the worst of both worlds.

That's the sense here.

Image: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-spending-binge-never-happened-2012-05-22?pagenumber=2

I don't have any dreams anymore.

Holidays

I've been sitting here for awhile thinking about holidays.

Have you ever stopped to think if we could have better holidays?

Don't get me wrong, I honor those who have died in combat for us but really, how many of us are going to visit a military cemetery this weekend?

Now AFTER the weekend our hangovers may make us feel like we should be in a cemetery but the point is, holidays except for maybe Christmas and Thanksgiving, have just become excuses to party.

New Year's Day? Why do we celebrate it? It's not as if we have any choice in it coming every year. Nothing important ever happens except nine college football games which we miss anyway because we're still hungover.

Labor day? Let's see if I have this straight: let's celebrate the fact that our parents didn't leave us trust funds and we have to work?

Have you ever checked a calendar and looked at all the holidays there are? Mine, for example has "West Virginia Day," and "Oklahoma Day." Isn't it bad enough that people have to live there? Do they have to be made to celebrate it too?

So if we were going to start all over again and you were King or Queen of the world, what are the days that you would set aside to honor the truly great people, events and inventions in our history? These are mine:

Jan. 1: The debut of Bugs Bunny cartoons. Well, they didn't really start on Jan. 1, they started in 1938 on some long-forgotten day but at least this gives us a chance to replace the odious new year's eve celebrations. AND DON'T TELL ME YOU DON'T WATCH BUGS BUNNY CARTOONS! I'M NOT THE ONLY ADULT WHO WATCHES THE "JUNE BUGS" FESTIVAL ON NICKOLODEON EVERY SUMMER! Am i?

Feb. 6: Bob Marley's birthday.

Feb. 15: Lupercalia day. Sex partners are drawn by lot.

April 22: Jack Nicholson's birthday. If there is reincarnation, could I come back as him?

July 6: Bikini day. Invented on this date.

Sept. 7: The debut of ESPN's Sportscenter, clearly the greatest cultural milestone in our history.

Sept. 11

Sept. 25: The birthday of PUBLIC OCCURRENCES.

Dec. 8: Jim Morrison's birthday. ...or him?

A little unusual, I know, juvenile, and definitely slanted toward the male view of the universe, but hey I'm the King!

I know that all of you turn to Publocc for just this kind of erudition and thoughtful commentary so just consider this a public service from me to you and have a nice weekend.

Spain.

Not many are bullish on Spain at the moment.

The country's largest mortgage lender, Bankia (that means "Bank"), has informed the Spanish government, which took over Bankia, that it needs 19 billion euros more in bailout funds to stay solvent, and to protect the Spanish people who have deposited money in Bankia. The government had estimated that the total needed to protect Bankia--and the Spanish people--was 9 billion.

If the Spanish government cannot come up with the 19 billion, and who amongst us has 19 billion Euros, probably that kid Zuckerberg, then Bankia, and Spain, will turn to the European Union, and yeah, good luck there.

Seeking the Soul of sports fans.

So, in a philosophical, "seeking the soul" mood, I emailed my son back, "Why is that?"  His response, "BECAUSE IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!

Laughed so hard stuff came out of my nose.

Seeking the Soul of sports fans.

"I've never seen anything like this! It has gone mad, it has gone mad! Mancini's on the pitch, what a goal! They are all cuddling each other, they have love bites and everything!"

                                                                              -Announcer Paul Merson at the end of the Manchester City-QPR game.

Love bites?  That's pretty funny.  I sent this to my son. This was his response:

Hahahaha. This is the only time that male-on-male cuddling is
acceptable.

Don't lie dad...if you were there, you would have gladly given a couple
love bites. LOL

He's right...WELL, maybe no "love bites," but hugging, yeah I would have. I have. 

My son is absolutely right. Celebrating "your" team's win is about the only occasion on which male physical affection is permitted in America--and England. Most any other situation and you'd get beaten!  Why would that be.

Image: University of Georgia football fans.

Etan Patz.

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the disappearance of a six-year old boy off the streets of Manhattan. It was the first day his parents had let him walk to the school bus stop alone. Etan Patz' disappearance traumatized parents nationwide and led to a campaign to put the photographs of missing children on milk cartons, something that most Americans have seen. Etan was never found and some years ago his parents had him declared legally dead so that they could sue a suspect in court. Etan's body has never been found.  Yesterday a different suspect (there have been many), Pedro Hernandez, was arrested for Etan's murder.  And today, on the 33rd anniversary, Pedro Hernandez has his first court appearance. The Etan Patz case is on the minds of many Americans today. This is Public Occurrences.

The Chen escapes.

The Chen brothers were aided in their escapes by guards.

Did the Center aid also, maybe looked the other way?

Maybe they want the brothers out of their hair.  That would explain why the Center was reasonable in its negotiating with Secretary Clinton over Guangfeng.  There now seems to be an alternative explanation to lauding the Center for being reasonable.  If the alternatives are, (1) The People's Republic of China leadership all of a sudden became reasonable, and (2) PRC leadership is its old thuggish self but saw that it was in its own thuggish interests to let Chen Guangfeng go the the U.S.... Well, c'mon. 

Chen escapes.

Another Chen, Chen Guangcheng's brother, Chen Guangfu, who was also under house arrest Dongshigu.
I'm ready to rule, how about you?  Both escapes were aided by guards.

China.

Nice lipstick.

There's an article in the Washington Post today;  It's consistent with other reporting done since the Bo Xilai scandal broke. The gist of the article is that Bo was and remains a popular figure in Chongqing.  That is, Bo's "Red Revival" movement was popular.  That is, the Cultural Revolution still has a constituency in China. That is, bad.

Mao Zedong was a ruthless dictator who killed millions of Chinese. The Cultural Revolution was Mao's revenge on the party elite who, in Mao's view, had gone pink (only red lipstick allowed). It was the people who took Mao's revenge for him. Shortly after Mao's death the CCP officially declared the CR the most disastrous event in the history of the Party and the PRC.

Why on earth then would Bo's invocation of CR history be popular with any Chinese?

Because Mao was popular among Chinese even though he killed millions. Read as many histories of modern China as you want, you will not find one that argues that Mao did not have the people's support.  Ask any historian what he or she thinks would have been the result of a free election in China at the time;  you'll likely get an honest dodge, "We don't know, how could we know?"  If you get any of them to drop their honest dodge they'd "guess" that Mao would have been elected. And Mao is still popular, as evidenced by Bo Xilai's popularity, among other indications.

As I know no Chinese "assholes" I know no Chinese totalitarians. They are there, however. Are they a majority?  If there were free elections now, would the Communist Party candidate for Paramount Leader be elected?  "We don't know."  Don't we?  Really?  As in the Muslim world, there is a critical mass of liberal democrats in China. But, on the evidence, do we have any more faith in Chinese to choose a liberal democrat than we do in the Muslim world?  I have more faith. A little more. Not enough.  The pro-democracy Tiananmen martyrs are not popular in China today. Even some of them opposed the PLA soldiers-- who were shortly to massacre them--by singing...the Internationale. And that of course was in intellectual, worldly, Beijing.  What of in other cities?  What of the fifty percent who still live in the countryside, about which we in the West, and maybe even in China, know so little?

Theodor Adorno, a German, surveyed America after World War II and pronounced the existence of "The Authoritarian Personality" among ordinary Americans. What if we surveyed ordinary Chinese using the same (hopefully better) methodology as did Adorno?  I think we'd find a more authoritarian personality and if pushed beyond an honest dodge on the question of elections, I think a Communist would be elected.



Image: Mao, by Andy Warhol.

China.

In re: "China is so damn opaque."  Last month I took issue with some reporting done by two New York Times reporters on Bo Xilai. Here is the link to the Times article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/world/asia/bo-xilai-said-to-have-spied-on-top-china-officials.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all and to the post here http://publicoccurrenc.blogspot.com/2012/04/bo.html.

Now one of the reporters, Ian Johnson, has written an article in the New York Review of Books that, by any reasonable reading, is more skeptical of the reporting he co-wrote with Jonathan Ansfield in the Times.  The Times article reported on a metastasis of the original account of the murder cover-up accusation as the basis for the falling out between Bo and Wang Lijun, his police chief.  According to the Times, the Center had been investigating Bo and Wang before Neil Heywood had even died. Here is the first sentence of the Times article:


"When Hu Jintao, China's top leader, picked up the telephone last August to talk to a senior anticorruption official visiting Chongqing, special devices detected that he was being wiretapped — by local officials in that southwestern metropolis."

Fact. That's a fact. Reported by The New York Times as a fact. That's all we do at The New York Times, report facts. Fact, fact, fact.

Now Johnson writes in the current issue of the New York Review of Books:

"Of course, one can come up with other explanations [for the Bo-Wang falling out].  ...  Another possibility is that...they were investigating Wang and Bo for wiretapping senior leaders who had been visiting Chongqing, and so on.(3)"

"3. I contributed to a report on the possible wiretapping in The New York Times [citing to the Times article]."

That's not a fact, that's "another possibility," one of many that Johnson writes about in the New York Review of Books; there are "other explanations."   Why weren't these other possibilities and explanations written about in The New York Times?  I don't know.

Ian Johnson should be commended for writing this.  Commend. 

China.

What if this is true?  What if China's post-Deng economic miracle is, even to some extent, not real?  What if, to some extent, it is a Potemkin Village? There have been some economic analysts who have been contrarian on China's economy for some time, one in particular, I forget his name, who is very bearish. They have gone to China, ridden on the mag-lev trains, and found them empty. There has been a lot written about China's own "housing bubble."  A "building bubble" really. Lovely apartment buildings and office buildings and few people occupying them.

China is so damn opaque. It has always been difficult to get accurate information, even today like in the Bo Xilai affair. You have to have transparency in economic matters.  China is now so economically integrated in the world economy that it has to follow the rules on economic transparency.  It does follow the rules, doesn't it?  The international financial regulators who look at China's books, they have looked, right?  Everything is, more or less, okidoki? Even with the regulation in America, we had the financial crisis of 2008.  Even with the post-recession reforms in regulation we still had JP Morgan take a $2 billion hit a couple weeks ago. What if?

China is not committed to capitalism.  The people are not by nature capitalists. They would not accept a recession, much less a corrupt, incompetent government created recession. If there is a big problem with China's economy and ordinary Chinese get hurt, there's going to be a big problem.

China

Professor Roderick MacFarquhar of Harvard, author of Mao's Last Revolution, the book that got me started on China,  has written an op-ed article in the New York Times today. "Fear at the Top" is the title and MacFarquhar argues that aspects of the Bo Xilai scandal, money allegedly being moved abroad, children being educated abroad, both of which are common among China's elite, are manifestations of a lack of confidence in China's future.  That is, the people who know best China's economy and the country's stability are "voting with their feet,"  in President Reagan's phrase, moving their most precious possessions out of China. I had not heard that take on this behavior before.  Not good. Very interesting article by an eminent scholar. Here's the link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/opinion/in-china-fear-at-the-top.html?_r=1&hpw

Chinese Cultural Revolution, by Zhang Mu.

This is the final installment of Mr. Mu's book

9. People forever are only able to be yes-men



(1) In August, 1966, the eleventh plenary session of the eighth CCP Committee issued “Decision about Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution”, namely the “Sixteen Items”. The Tiananmen Square hundreds of thousands of people assembled to “firmly support the CCP’s decision (the 16 Items)”. (2) Guangzhou 500,000 persons assembled to cheer “the Sixteen Items”. (3) Heilongjiang Harbin populace cheered “the Sixteen Items”; Photo by Li Zhensheng. (4,5) Each region “propagandize 16 the Items, support the 16 Items, sing the 16 Items, act according to the 16 Items”.



(1) In August, 1966, Mao posted a “Bombard the Headquarters” big-character poster in Beijing Zhongnanhai, the whole nation supported firmly, responed enthusiastically. (2) The cadres and staff of the Foreign Affairs Ministry responded “bombard the headquarters”, immediately criticized the “Chen Yi’s bourgeoisie reactionary route” in ten thousand people meeting. In 1967 January to September, Chen Yi was interrogated many times. (3) In 1967, Harbin hundreds of thousands people “bombard the headquarters and fight the capitalist-roaders”. Photo by Li Zhensheng. (4) Shenyang hundreds of thousands people interrogated the capitalist-roaders. Photo by Jiang Shaowu.



(1,2) In July, 1967, Mao sent his trusted subordinates Xie Fuzhi and Wang Li to Wuhan to support a faction of rebels and attack other one faction, finally a large-scale Wuhan populace besieged them, Wang Li also was injured, they returned to Beijing distressedly. Because Xie Fuzhi and Wang Li was persons of Mao’s headquarters, therefore the whole nation (including outlying mountainous area) had to “warmly cheer Xie Fuzhi and the Wang Li returning to Beijing honorably”. (3) “Comrade Wang Li and Guan Feng’s speechs” once was the central Cultural Revolution’s document which the Red Guard must learn earnestly and carry out. (4) Instigated by Wang Li and Guan Feng and so on, the rebels revolt and actively tyrannised capitalist-roaders includin the army capitalist-roaders, causes the army unrest. Mao thought that Wang Li and Guan Feng already had no using value even to add chaos, so Wang Li and Guan Feng were overthrown, “the revolutionary populace” then “overthrow counter-revolutionary double-dealer Wang Li and Guan Feng!”.



In the October, 1968, the 12th plenary session of the eighth CCP Committee issued the “bulletin”：“dismissed the renegade, hidden traitor and scab Liu Shaoqi from the CCP”, everywhere of the country cheered and firmly supported, the Central Newsreel and Documentary Film Studio photographed a documentary film, recorded these scenes. The regional manufactured many Mao’s badges of “supporting the 12th plenary session bulletin and dismissed Liu Shaoqi”.



(1,2) Everywhere of the country cheered and firmly supported dismissed the renegade, hidden traitor and scab Liu Shaoqi from the CCP”. (3) Xu Degui, worker of Harbin Jianwei Machine Factory, because he said to sympathize Liu Shaoqi, becomes “anti- bulletin counter-revolutionary”, was arrested, after innumerable interrogating, was sentenced for 20 years. (4) Zhang Kunhao, worker of Hebei telecommunication engineering brigade, he said that it was unfair to overthrow Liu Shaoqi, suffered innumerable interrogating, his eyes was hit to be deflected. On March 19, 1970 in Baoding stadium, held a public trial congress for him, and was paraded in streets, he attempted to shout, a PLA soldier butt his chin down, did not inform his family members, was shot, his nake corpse on the snow several days. In addition, Wang Yunfen, cadre of Hebei Daily newspaper office, because he discontented for expels Liu Shaoqi from the CCP, on March 4, 1970, was executed by shooting by the “counter-revolutionary crime”. Zhu Shouzhong, teacher of Zhongwei County No. 1 Middle School in Ningxia, he did not agree that Liu Shaoqi was “the renegade, hidden traitor and scab”, on February 11, 1970, after “public trial” was shot. Fang Yunfu, staff of Chongqing Construction Bank, he said “Liu Shaoqi was not wrong”, on March 6, 1970, after “public trial” was shot. Wang Jingcheng, staff of Hubei Anlu County Taxation Bureau, he said “the process of treating Liu Shaoqi is unfair”, on April 23, 1970, was executed by shooting. Zhang Zhixin Liu, cadre of Liaoning CCP Committee,On April 4, 1975 was shot, her “counter-revolutionary crime” was sympathizing Liu Shaoqi and opposting the Cultural Revolution.



In April, 1969, the nineth CCP Congress was held, Lin Biao was stipulated to be Mao’s successor by the CCP’s constitution ion. Only merely Lin Biao had did the politics report on the Congress but the meeting had not end, in Tiananmen Square the people paraded to “warmly cheer Vice-President Lin’s politics reporton pass through”. After the Congress ended, throughout the country warmly celebrated, cheered, and wished“Vice-President Lin forever healthy”.



(1) In Cultural Revolution Mao abolished China's state president’s position. In September, 1970, the second plenary session of the nineth CCP Committee was held in Lushan, Mao struggled with Lin Biao life and death for the “state president” position, even the majority attendees of the meeting (magistrates) to echo Lin Biao at first, supposed a state need a president, but afterward quickly trimmed their sails and completely changed position, Lin Biao was defeated by Mao, and afterward conspired a coup d'etat; The whole nation did not know the truth of the meeting, but also “cheered the second plenary session of the nineth CCP Committee’s bulletin warmly”. (2) Fujian Quanzhou grand celebration the “successful Second Plenary Session”. Photo bu Zhuang Guoliang. (3) Jilin Medical College “firmly respond the Plenary Session meetings’ summons, carry through the proletariat educational revolution to the end”. (4) In 1971, Lin Biao group was defeated, the whole nation “angrily denounce Lin Biao anti-Party group’s heinous crimes.



In August, 1973, The tenth CCP’s Congress was held, Wang Hongwen, Kang Sheng became vice-president of the CCP, Zhang Chunqiao was “elected” as the CCP Political Bureau member. Jiang Qing, Zhang Chunqiao, Yao Wenyuan, Wang Hongwen formed “the Gang of Four” in the CCP Central Political Bureau. The whole nation celebrated warmly.



(1) People supported Mao’s summon to complete the whole nation to be the Mao’s thought’s big school. (2,3) The educated youths supported Chairman Mao’s summon to go to countryside to “accept the poor peasants re-education”, but several years later, they could not but return to the city completely. After Mao's death, the peasants had to go to work into city. (4) The whole nation respond Mao’s summon to “criticize Lin Biao and Confucius”, but after Mao’s death, the CCP could not but summon to learn from Confucius; Now a large-scale statue of Confucius is erected in Tiananmen Square.



In January, 1975, the fourth National People's Congress “convened successfully”, at the meeting, Deng Xiaoping, Zhang Chunqiao, Hua Guofeng together were “elected” as the vice-premiers; Simultaneously, the second plenary session of the tenth CCP Committee “convened successfully”, Deng was “elected” to be vice-president of the CCP; All over the country “cheered” and “supported”.



In 1976 spring, Mao and Jiang Qing summoned to “criticize Deng thoroughly, counter-attack rightists to reverse the verdicts”, the regional firmly supported, convened in abundance “criticize Deng mobilization meeting”, “counter-attack rightists to reverse the verdicts by the practical actions”.



In April, 1976, after the Tiananmen Incident, Deng was overthrown again, throughout the country organized the populace to assemble, “firmly support the CCP central’s two resolutions” (“Resolution about Hua Guofeng was appointed as first vice-chairman of the CCP and the State Council Premier” and “Resolution about abolishing all duties of Deng Xiaoping”).



In April, 1976, Deng Xiaoping was overthrown once more, all over the country organized the masses to “firmly support.”



In October, 1976, all over the nation “supported crushing the Gang of Four”, “firmly support the Party Central Committee headed by Comrade Hua Guofeng”.



All over the nation “supported crushing the Gang of Four”, “infinite love Chairman Hua, firmly defend Chairman Hua”.



In July, 1977, the third plenary session of the tenth CCP Committee was convened, adopted unanimously “Restored Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s duty”, all over the nation populace celebrated, “firmly supported”.



In July, 1977, the CCP restored Comrade Deng Xiaoping’s duty, all over the nation populace celebrated, “firmly supported”.



In August, 1977, the 11th CCP Congress convened, it announced officially “the Great Cultural Revolution ended”, all over the nation celebrated, firm supported “the 11th CCP Congress”, but it was not said that celebration for the “Great Cultural Revolution ending”.



In August, 1977, the 11th CCP Congress convened, it announced officially “the Great Cultural Revolution ended”, all over the nation celebrated, firm supported.



(1) in December, 1978, the third plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee’s representatives raised hand to pass through criticizing Hua Guofeng’s “two whatevers” resolution. (2) Shanxi Province Linfen city cheered “the third session of the 11th CCP Committee is good!” (3) Henan Luoshan County supported “the third session of the 11th CCP Committee”. (4) Shanxi Baode County celebrated “the third session of the 11th CCP Committee”. Photo by Han Youwen.



(1) In February, 1980, the fifth plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee “victory” ended, it unanimously passed to rehabilitate thoroughly for Liu Shaoqi. (2) On May 17, 1980, the CCP grandly held “Comrade Liu Shaoqi’s memorial service” in Beijing. (3) In June, 1981, the sixth plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee, the members had raised hands to pass through " Resolution about a number of historical Questions since the Founding of the PRC”, and completely negated the “Cultural Revolution”, Hua Guofeng resigned, all over the nation took down Hua Guofeng’s portraits. But the sixth plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee had not issued the bulletin, therefore the common people needed not to cheer and support and so on.

10. productions suffered the huge impact, the economy to approach collapse



National all factories, countryside communes, and the work sites, nearly every day had to engage in the “political movement”: fighting capitalist-roaderers, criticism meeting, learn Mao’s quotations, even in working also had to pick Mao’s portait or Mao’s quotations. Photo by Xiao Zhuang.







Nearly every day people had to engaged in the “political movement”: fighting capitalist-roaderers, criticism meeting, learn Mao’s quotations, even in working also had to pick Mao’s portait or Mao’s quotations. Photo by Xiao Zhuang, Ru Suichu, etc.

11. The people live in a extremely poor life


Since the Cultural Revolution is “seizing power”, is “a class overthrows another class’s violence motion”, the productive forces has received great destruction, caused to be extremely lack of substance, people lives a extremely poverty life.




(1) The peasants of Qianqiao production brigade, Xuxing commune, Jiading County in Shanghai, like all the country, “politics is always higher than all” and “every day must talk about class struggle”, evaluated work by “political criteria”, the income were extremely few. Photo by Ru Suichu. 1967. (2) Usual office buildings and the farmer’s residents in rural people's commune production brigade (i.e. present's village), the countryside farmer's house all were constructed several dozens years even over a hundred years ago. Even in cities very few new houses were constructed.



(1) Peasants’ dilapidated housing. (2) Young peasant in his home, hot in summer and cold in winter, in a rare photo opportunity, he could not but was wearing clothes darned again and again. (3) Fujian rural farmers crowdly lived in the earth buildings which was built hundreds of years ago, not entirely for the preservation of heritage. (4) The Actors performanced not in the livestock fences or cowshed but in the inhabited area. Photo by Xiao Zhuang.



(1) “People Department Store” in the center of Nanjing city, the commodity was much less, it was mainly the political meeting place. Photo by Xiaozhuang. (2) People were wearing clothes full of patches to watch Mao Zedong Thought propaganda. Photo by Xiaozhuang. (3) Farmers accepted the political propaganda, their dilapidated housing were written Mao’s quotations inside and outside. Photo by Xiaozhuang. (4) The “Popcorn” or “puffed rice” was the people's only several kinds “between-meal snacks”.



(1) Now many countryside peasants are working like this way. (2) “The counter-revolutionary revisionism's total backstage” in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province, were also wearing the ragged clothes. (3) Yunnan countryside’s female educated youths, even in the rare photography time did not have the decent clothes. (4) Hubei Wuhan city’s “May Seventh Cadre School”, the young cadres lived in such dormitories. 1972. Photo by Huang Keqin.



(1,2,3) In 1968, Guangdong Province Gaozhou County’s “happiness” poor peasants, in order not to “forget the pre-liberation’s bitter live and class struggle”, was carried on “eating poor meal prepared to recall past suffering”, and held the meeting of “recalling pre-liberation’s suffering and thinking today’s happiness and having the political power”. But their “thinking today’s happiness” food were not so good, actually in 1960s big famine time many of their family members had starved to death. (4) A “Recalling past suffering and thinking today’s happiness meeting” was holding in Yuexi Commune, Wu County of Suzhou.



(1) Marriage application. (2,3) The regional marriage certificates all were printed with Mao’s quotations. (4) A poor peasant's wedding ceremony. (5) A rural youth's wedding, all trousseau were on his body.



(1) Jiangsu Xuzhou City Revolutionary Committee’s procedural proof of a bicycle；in 1969, a cadre left and transferred to anther post, had to return the bicycle to the Revolutionary Committee. When the private cars were very common in many countries, but in China only “revolutionary cadres” could enjoy bicycles. (2) In 1970, Hubei Huangshi Red Flag People's commune, the educated youths were preferential offered by this proof could buy some rice. (3,4) 1950-1980s, China’s urban population were given a quota food system, there were “national general use” or in “local use” grain coupons in the country, people eat at anywhere must spend both money and grain coupons. Each person each month was provided most approximately 15kg grain coupons (calculated with rice or flour). The farmers which occupied the overwhelming majority of country population, when went in cities were very difficult to have the food to eat. The farmers generally were limited to enter cities. (5) Shenyang’s Egg supply ticket, 100g. 1970.



(1) Wuhan city’s educated youth who had setted in countryside in 1975 Spring Festival returning to Wuhan to visit relatives, each one could buy 7.5 kg “standard second-level rice” depending on this ticket. (2) Beijing quota pork ticket, 500g, 1990. (3) Fujian Province quota pork ticket 15g, 1967.



The farmers did not have the meat to eat, they raised pigs must sell to the state according to the regulated prices, then they could be returned some proportionated quota pork tickets. (1) Hunan Province Xinhuang County, the returned quota pork ticket for the farmers who selling pig to the state, 1000g,1981-1982. (2) Sichuan Province Wusheng County, the returned quota pork ticket for the farmers who selling pig to the state.500g. (2) Sichuan Province Mabian Yi Nationality Autonomous County, the returned quota pork ticket for the farmers who selling pig to the state.250g.1971.



The quota-ticket shopping system was implemented in China from 1950s to continue to 1990s. (1) Beijing cooking oil quota ticket, 250g. 1993. (2) Beijing clothing coupon, 3.3cm, and 16cm. 1984. (3) Xinjiang clothing coupon, 1 santmeter, and 3 santmeter. (4) Guizhou province clothing coupon, 5 santmeter(=16cm),1983.



(1,2,3) Soap quota tickets of Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangxi Ji'an and Nanjing. (4) Beijing egg quota ticket, 500g,1992. (5) Beijing sugar quota ticket, 250g.1990. (6) Harbin salt quota ticket, 500g,1992.



In Mao Yuanxin ruled Liaoning province, the materials were particular tension. (1) Shenyang sugar quota ticket.100g, 1976. (2) Shenyang fish quota ticket. 500g. (3) Liaoning local grain ticket.50 g. (4) Liaoning starch noodle quota ticket.250g.



The countryside farmers were lack of medical treatment, they only could see the “barefoot doctors” (generally all farmers all the years were barefoot). (1) In 1968, Guangdong province Gaozhou couny, it was training the barefoot doctors like this way for the farmers’ medical treatment. (2) There were crude medical service surgery conditions in countryside, Gaozhou county. (3) People adaptively boiled and prepared the Chinese herbal medicine in crude system. (4) In 1969, doctors of Guangdong Gaozhou County Hospital climbed mountains and crossed rivers for the populace treating illness, several dozens years the transportation problems was very difficult.



All over the country there were very few matters about building roads and bridging.



(1) The clothes tattered, never had shoes to put on, but hands held Mao’s quotations countryside children. (2) There were many farmer descendants in deprivation and could not afford to go to school. (3) On March 10, 2005, there were many out of school children in Longquan Town, Dongxiang Nationality Autonomous County, Linxia district, Gansu Province. Photo by Liang Qiang.

12. Mao dynasty alienation in post-Mao era (1976-)


“Our party some people have practiced ten divisions. I think may also engage in ten times, 20, 30 times, do you believe? I believe in any case.”- Mao Zedong. People's Daily, on March 1, 1975.

In 1978, the third plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee, Huang Guofeng's political fortunes ended, Mao’s dynasty enter in to the alienation era. First is the Deng period; this time, Mao time’s once positively criticized Deng and counter-rightist all levels of leaders all denied that they had once criticized Deng, expressed that they always supported Deng, in order to keep their postitions, which give the CCP’s attitude extension and developing. In order to consolidate his political power Deng still maintained Mao dynasty’s system, did some patching, this was is the disassimilation or alienation. Deng proposed “four insist”, actually had not distinguished with Huang Guofeng’s “two whatevers”. Since it basically used some capitalism set of methods in the economy, caused the national economy and the lives of the people to have the effective enhancement. But as a result of the invariable political system, the corrupt politics appears many questions, caused the people especially the young intellectuals disaffections. On March 15, 1979, Beijing sent out “the CCP central committee notice about to remind the whole party to defend Chairman Mao’s image the”. In 1989 the national presented many persons to assemble to protest, took the name to mourn Hu Yaobang who was quite enlightened but was compelled to leave office and just died, the assembly evolved into the populace protest. Finally, Deng also like Mao, suppressed the populace protest, did a Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4,1989.

The CCP diligently covered the truth of Tiananmen Square massacre, and always did not earnest to examines the Cultural Revolution such errors. After in 1997 Deng died of illness, China still occupied in the Mao system's disassimilation process, but got the color which kept pace with the times. But the democracy tidal current cannot block.




(1) In October, 1984 National Day Tiananmen Square in the parade, university students held a “Hello, Xiaoping” slogan, expressed the people to Deng’s support, respect and expectation. (2) In September12, 1982, in the 12th CCP’s Congress, from right: Deng Xiaoping, Zhao Ziyang, Chen Yun, Hu Yaobang, Li Xiannian. Hu Yaobang and Zhao Ziyang were reformist and relatively enlightened leaders, they had done a lot for the rehabiliation to the Cultural Revolution and the before all previous The CCP political activity's innumerable cases of injustice. At the end of May, 1986, Hu Yaobang said that in the 13th CCP’s Congress should “take democracy and science as the highest social value and the goal ......I agree that Comrade Deng Xiaoping takes the lead to retire, this is a very good lead. So long as Comrade Deng Xiaoping retire, other old comrade's same work would be well do. I wll retire when my tenure of general secretary expired.” Nie Rongzhen and Xi Zhongxun and so on approved. But Wang Zhen and so on opposed firmly. Deng Xiaoping said: “To put it bluntly, you do not hope me inquire about the central matter again, think that I have interfered your work? Is not it? Well, I can not do, retreat to the end”. Wang Zhen said to Deng: “Who let you leave office, let him leave office.” Deng nodded and said: “Those who dream to want me to step down, inevitably his spear point directed against the CCP leadership. We must insist.” (3) In June, 1981, the sixth plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee, Hu Yaobang was elected to be CCP’s chairman, in 1983 the CCP senior statesmen conservative faction insisted to “eliminate spiritual pollution”, “opposite bourgeois liberalization” movement, also restored the Cultural Revolution same old systems; in January, 1987, Deng and other senior statesmen forced Hu Yaobang with the unusual method to leave office. In April, 1989, Hu Yaobang passed away.



From March, 1989, youth intellectuals took the name to mourned Hu Yaobang’s pass away, held assembly in Tiananmen Square, protested the CCP’s corruption. People's Liberation Army armored vehicles came to suppresse the protesting populace, the angry populace burn down the vehicles. in April, 1989, the university students and the populace confronted with the polices and PLA soldiers who followed orders to come to suppress.



(1) In April, 1989, Beijing streets continued several weeks the populace protest. (2) Zhao Ziyang replaced Hu Yaobang to be the CCP chairman, he sympathized with the protest students, arrived at the Tiananmen Square to meet the students meet. Nearby Zhao Ziyang was Wen Jiabao, director of the CCP central committee staff office. Wen Jiabao 14 years later became State Council premier. (3) On June 4 before dawn, the People's Liberation Army in Tiananmen Square and sreets opened fire and the tanks to kill the protesting populace, hundreds of people were dead, the casualties and the arrested uncounted until now.



(1) In June, 1989, the CCP sent the army to suppress Beijing populace's protest activities, was called “Beijing to suppress the counter-revolutionary riot”. Later the CCP rename “1989 that turmoil”, recently renamed “1989 that disturbance”, but forbade the populace and the media to mentions this topic. (2) Zou Aiguo, He Ping: “The Third Generation Leader's Footprints” The CCP Central Party School Publishing House, 1992. Deng appointed Jiang Zemin as the general secretary of the CCP at “1989 events”, and Jiang Zemin was called the third generation leader of the CCP, erased Huang Guofeng and Hu Yaobang's history position. (3) Three youths imitated “the CCP’s three generation leaders”. (4) Shanghai Pudong’s new look. Since the third plenary session of the 11th CCP Committee implemented the reform and open policy, the national economy obtained great development, the human rights situation also had improvement, the people’s living standards had enhancement. But because the political system is invariable, there is a huge social problems and crises.



(1) Nearly hundred million farmers liberated from the sole grain crop production, entered cities to work to make money, most people one year only then in the Spring Festival came back home to rest for several days, the transportations before and after the Spring Festival are very difficult. (2,3) The peasants entering cities to work often could not obtain the prearranged very low wages, many of them had to beg the wages, and were under attack or beaten. (4) China's mining accident formation rate is the highest.



(1,2) There is very major security problem in China’s food and drugs. All over the country unceasingly discovered that Unscrupulous businessmen to make and sell the inferior baby powdered milk and food and even drugs. In 2004, several hundred malnutrition babies, at least 8 died caused by inferior baby milk. The matter is getting more and more serious, the national medical department on December 1, 2008 pointed out, 290,000 children were abnormal uninary system and unusual because of the powdered milk. (3,4) The populace and the government opposition mood increased, the violence protest events are many. On June 15, 2009, Jiangxi Nankang city government rectified the furniture market, which aggravated the taxes burden, initiated over ten thousand persons to protest, overturned more than a dozen police cars. On June 28, 2008, Guizhou Weng'an County police station building and the police vehicles were burnt down by the populace.



(1) In China the the disparity between east and west, urban and the countryside is very big. Now poor area's traffic conditions are improving. (3) On June 10, 2005, Hebei Xingtai polices uncovered a trafficking children case involved in 11 children which the 9 were rescued. “Sell the children is similar to sell the cabbage” many report used the title and it was the fact, such as on April 19, 2010 “Chinese Court net”, used the title reported that Shandong judged a trafficking children case. Yunnan, Sichuan and so on many places report the same news with the similar titles. (4) Environmental pollution is serious. In May, 2007, nearby Shanghai Jinjiang paradise's a tall building outer wall, for a long time was hanging big slogans “Premier Wen, please rescue us” ,“Secretary Xi (Jinping), please come to see us” “We need environmental protection, we want to survive”. (4) Officials widespread corruption, rural people living in extreme poverty. On December 5, 2010, Henan Luoning County a small bureau chief was eating with 4 female subordinates and drunken driving a State-financed car to stroll, kills 5 youths. The dying young Yang Shaopeng’s remains was lifted by the family member to go home, such kind of deteriorated house. Photo by Cao Fuchuan.



“Insisted the Party's basic line a hundred years without vacillating”. In history, emperors (especially Chin Shihhuang) wanted his throne to be the continuation from generation to generation, had not achieved. Mao once said “I am Marx add Chin Shihhuang”. The CCP now said, Mao is China’s “the proletariat revolution (with “Mao dynasty” may be more accurate) the first generation leader”, Deng is “the second generation leader”. Jiang Zemin is “the third generation leader”. Hu Jintao is still now called “the third generation leadership core”.