Chinese Ideology Hampers Corruption Crackdown

The People’s Republic of China is in the middle of a crackdown on corruption. Xinhua, the official news agency, reported that 17,500 people have been punished for corruption since the beginning of the year and 67,500 since the beginning of 2003. The authorities appreciate the need to root out shady dealings, bribes and the like. The trouble is the most effective ways to eliminate corruption are against Chinese Communist ideology.

The ChiComs do appreciate that corruption threatens all they are trying to do. The BBC stated, “China’s chief prosecutor, Jia Chunwang, told a conference on corruption being held this week in Beijing that ‘corruption, if not controlled, would undermine democracy and the rule of law and engender an increase in organised crime and terrorism’.” If one can control the reflex giggling when a communist apparatchik talks about protecting democracy, the thrust of his remarks are valid. The Chinese Communist Party has rules, and breaking those rules for personal gain is what corruption means. QED.

In Shanghai, commercial center of China both historically and today, the situation has reached unbelievable proportions. The central government has sent 100 investigators to find out what happened to certain funds that should have been in the 10 billion yuan (US$1.25 billion) city social security fund. The allegations are that the money went to make illegal loans for real estate speculation (surely a counter-revolutionary activity) and related infrastructure deals.

The trouble with the investigation of Shanghai is that it is way too little way too late. Because the party controls things, crooked apparatchiks can get away with just about anything. Chairman Mao, founder of the PRC and the biggest mass murderer in the history of humanity, was big on getting his underlings to criticize themselves. The theory being self-criticism would result in future improvements. And after enough beatings, people will agree to just about any shortcoming the authorities want them to confess.

Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Yet a free press, free speech, the right to free assembly, the right to petition government for redress of grievances, the right to hold government accountable, in short, the right to question authority doesn’t exist in the People’s Republic of China. When government officials can operate in secret, corruption is part of the landscape. One good reporter working for a truly free newspaper could have prevented the sale of Shanghai.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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