Walls That Haven't Fallen - a view from China
November 9th, 2009 by Kim
Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, one of the most memorable events of the 20th century that signaled the retreat of communism and the thawing of the Cold War.
I was 5 years old in 1989. Later, I remember my teacher explaining that although our maps and textbooks labeled that giant, sprawling northern country the "Soviet Union," we had to call it "Russia." Memorizing all those former Soviet states made geography quizzes a lot harder.
My view of the world might have been totally different had I been born 10 or 15 years earlier. I think my generation appreciates how events of that era influenced U.S. thinking and foreign policy because we've studied them in school. But studying events is one thing; living through them is another. The unipolar system in which my generation came of age is completely different from the world in which my parents grew up.
Commemorating the symbolic end of the Cold War is slightly awkward in China. It's hard to talk about communism's "legacy", because while communism is basically dead in practice, it's still very much alive in current literature and in the official ideology of China's government. The Chinese Community Party just celebrated its 60th year in power and Mao Zedong, whose own version of communism -- Maoism -- wrecked havoc on China's economy and society for decades, still lies in Tiananmen Square.
Communism in China is therefore as controversial as it is complicated. In my classes in Nanjing, every discussion about modern China must be prefaced by a weeks-long introduction to communism, socialism, Marxism and Maoism.
If I hadn't been born near the end of the Cold War, living so close to communism would probably fill me each day with a sense of incredulity -- if not a sense of nervousness. But I can't say that "communism" evokes the same kind of fearful images in my mind as it does for people in my parents' generation.
My Chinese roommate once asked why people in the U.S. don't trust China. I described how my parents' generation grew up in an era where China was "Red China" and where communism was unequivocally the enemy. But because young Chinese are so removed from communism, I could see that my explanation felt as strange to her and it did to me.
Today, what bothers me more is internet censorship (it bars me from Facebook!), a lack of free press, and -- very seriously -- the fact that even though the Hopkins Nanjing Center is supposed to resemble a U.S. university, there is a sense that individuals here are still not totally free to say or write whatever they want.
On one hand, that realization is valuable because I'm here to study the way things are in China today, not the way democracy theorists think they should be. But I also wonder how the curriculum suffers because of restrictions and self-censorship.
So while my generation grew up in a different world, we must realize that some societies still are not free. The anniversary should be an opportunity to remember those walls that have not yet fallen.
Tags: Berlin Wall, censorship, China, Cold War
November 9th, 2009 at 7:15 am
Excellent post, Kim.
I was about your age when this historical event happened. As someone who once despised President Reagan, I vividly remember his infamous speech to Berliners. At that time, I thought he was just spewing rhetorical politico-speak for the sake of his legacy; for it was during George H. Bush’s presidency when “The Wall” actually came down. Little did I realize its symbolic nature which eventually led to the downfall of Communism. Today, only a handful of countries subscribe to this political ideology and we all know their record on human rights and freedom; e.g., North Korea and Cuba.
We must never forget that the Berlin Wall was constructed not to keep people from invading East Germany; rather it was built to keep their inhabitants from leaving. In the end, the people’s desire for freedom will always prevail.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:23 am
I’ll withhold my opinions about your current situation…
I want you to retain your safety.
IYKWIM
November 9th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Nicely written.
There is a reason why there is so much nostalgia surrounding Reagan. He stood up against the communist regimes, did not waver and in the end brought about a peaceful end to a cold war that threatened not only the United States, but humanity as we know it via nuclear holocaust. He didn't offer quid pro quo, lace his words with political correctness or bow down to others. He simply said, "Mr. Gorbachev, bring down this wall." Guess what eventually happened?
My early childhood was during the cold war and as a result I--whether right or wrong--have a severe distrust of communist and socialist regimes and continue to do so today (the republics of Chavez and Kim Jong Il, to name a couple). I have yet to be convinced otherwise.
WOLVERINES!
November 9th, 2009 at 8:37 am
We in Hawaii are not too affected by the word "communist". When I was working in Washington, D.C. in the mid 1960s' I had a close co-worker friend originally from the midwest (Indiana and Illinois) who jerked and whose eyes went wild with terror whenever I mentioned even the word "communist". I did not realize his feelings. After a few incidents, we avoided the topic.
Hawaii people are more open. I lived in an apartment building where one corner unit for several floors were occupied by staff member families from the Polish embassy and I got to interact with the children.
Another time when I went to visit NY city, on the bus across me was a Polish guy and we had a long discussion between the differences between capitalism and communism. His conclusion was the basic difference between the two systems was land ownership, the private citizen not being able to own land under the communist system. Anyway, I felt we had a good discussion. I learned a little more on communism by someone living in it.
Walls will fall when we have more social interactions, like your own experience living in China. More Chinese tourists visiting Hawaii from mainland China and visa versa should help foster better relations between our two countries.
November 9th, 2009 at 9:01 am
Agree with KK, this is an excellent post. Didn't realize you were totally blocked from FB. Somehow had the impression that you could access almost anything from the Hopkins Nanjing Center.
Ironically, was in attache training to go to Poland when the Berlin Wall came down. We were trained to go to a "Bloc" country. Quite a story, but one which shouldn't be told here. To make a long story short, Poland was just waiting to regain freedom from Soviet influence when we arrived there. Many Poles described their experience with communism as being like a radish. They were red on the outside, but white on the inside. The way they explained that was not meant to be a racial sterotype, it was meant to express the fact that they never bought into the communist dogma. Was in Berlin in 2006 and stayed in a nice hotel in what was the East. There were a few fragments of the Wall and there is special paving to indicate where the Wall was, but the younger Berliners that I talked too -- say 30 and under -- said that they did not remember much about those times. It was very different than 13 years prior (1993) the last time I had been there. The West Germans poured tons of money into what had been the East to upgrade infrastructure and so on. It really paid off.
Looking at your link, couldn't help but recall the old "Red vs Expert" debate (Mao and others versus Liu Shao Chi, Deng Tsiao Peng et al) that western China scholars used to speculate about. After the notorious "gang of four" the experts eventually won out. Truth is, in the 60s and 70s, we didn't understand that Mao and the Soviets had already fallen out. It would be fascinating to hear how the Chinese professors address the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution today. What I know is dated, but estimates were that ten million perished and that a generation essentially was 'lost' with universities and secondary schools being closed and so many teachers sent to 're-education' camps.
Was in China in 1982 with a group of 16 Americans (military officers and spouses) from Okinawa. We went through a Japanese travel agency to set up our trip. Had a national guide (30ish) who escorted us throughout the entire trip and local guides in each city. We knew our national guide was a party member and that her hubby was in the security apparatus. Our local guide in Shanghai was higher ranking in the party and he treated our national guide (who we really liked) very badly. To say he was rude would have been an understatement. (One of our group was Chinese from Taipei, well educated and fluent in Mandarin and Cantonese. She was our next door neighbor in Okinawa so we got the dirt and by play that went on in Chinese from her.) Shanghai was our last stop before we went to Hong Kong (then still under British control). We had a party for her our last night there, got her a lil drunk and gave her some gifts. It got pretty senimental and she was crying and a few of us were misty eyed when we left Shanghai. (Saw Mao's body in Tiananmen in 82. Can't imagine how the body looks now.)
I dunno, I read a lot about Vietnam before I was assigned there (1971-72). Even then, there were a lot of scholars and some State Dept officials who pointed out that the war waged by Ho Chi Minh was not a war about installing 'communism' rather it was a war to free themselves first from the French and then from us. The old 'Asia Hands' who tried to warn Eisenhower and Kennedy about this lost out to the 'containment' theorists -- Kennan, Acheson, Dean Rusk and those who presented 'communism' as a monolith. It is interesting (but maybe pointless) to speculate what would have happened had Kennedy not been killed. The Diem assassination clearly upset him.
@James, went to college in Indiana, small, private liberal arts, in mid 60s. Liked your comment and there were a few 'Hoosiers' who might have been like that, but we were already having 'sit-ins' there by 1966. Nothing that radical, but the debate about Vietnam and 'communism' was on in earnest, but we were pretty civil about it.
PS: Kim, tried the FB search you suggested in your last blog, but didn't pan out. Ha, got a call from a FB friend that I really like last night. We yakked for about an hour, totally agree with you. It's so nice to hear the voice, FB is great, but not a substitute for a call. Are you able to call family and friends, or is it just cost prohibitive?
November 9th, 2009 at 9:44 am
Not sure about China's Government but during the Beijing Olympics I saw millions of people proud. Working to put together one of the best, maybe the best of all Olympics. Much was done with man power. The awesome creation of lights and action done by athletes. Tai Chi in unison by thousands. I saw no disputed Government, I just saw people being Proud Chinese.
Simple. I would trust a simple person before I would trust anyone educated. Can trust no one then? Aiyah!
Depends on how one looks at being free. Millions of people and no open space. Freedom is in the mind of one of those people. An open field,
watching birds fly. Nature. Tai Chi. Sports.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:20 am
There is a difference between living in a country ruled by the Communist Party, and being a member of the Party yourself.
Most Chinese just want to live their lives on a daily basis, they don't worry about the political theory that rules the country. For that matter, are Americans any different? Consider how many people don't even bother to vote in the United States.
Eventually, more freedoms will come to China, but I am one to agree they are not ready for American style democracy right now. That would be chaos. A strong hand is needed to deal with a population of over 1 billion. Most Americans have absolutely no concept of that.
November 9th, 2009 at 11:22 am
Some years ago, I was showing a group of Chinese businessmen around Honolulu. They were looking to invest in a local real estate project, or purchase local products for import to China.
After we had gotten to know each other well, I told them that I admired their entrepreneurial skills, and asked:
"You're not communists, are you?"
The question prompted a great deal of laughter.
"What's so funny?" I asked.
"We're all members of the Communist Party!" they told me.
I guess that tells it all.
November 9th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Communism is actually a wonderful economic system...in theory. That people should share things...that they own things "in common" for the benefit of the community. It has some of the nicer qualities of religion: that everyone is his brother's keeper. Society helps all, no matter how downtrodden. "From each, according to his abilities; to each, according to his needs."
Problem is: people are inherently self-centered, individualistic, competitive and greedy. If someone falls behind, too bad. I'm trying to get ahead!!
So communism just doesn't work. Capitalism works because it is more in tune with how human beings really act. Sad, but true.
Great post, Kim.
November 9th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
@Michael -- All I can say is, you don't appreciate freedom until it is taken away. China has come a long way since Mao, but there is still a long way to go. From Facebook to academics, I have a tremendous appreciation for the freedoms we so often take for granted in America.
@maxcat -- Thank you for sharing your experiences. Regarding how my Chinese professors teach the Cultural Revolution -- their comments on Mao and his policies are fairly candid. I think there's a consensus at least among professors here that the Cultural Revolution and the Great Leap Forward were a very dark and troubling period in Chinese history. In one of my classes, we each had to watch a movie about the Cultural Revolution (many of which were originally banned in this country) and do a presentation on its effects on Chinese society.
At the same time, I think Mao is still much more revered in China than he is despised by the average Chinese because he helped China "stand up" and helped it on the path to becoming a modern superpower. In the West, many have a different view. Chinese have a pragmatic and almost detached approach to what happened in the 50s and 60s -- it was a horrific time, yes, but China has moved on and has since flourished. I worry, however, that China has not yet come to terms with that period. I worry even more than young Chinese, like my classmates, do not know the extent of the damage because they simply haven't had access to the same materials we have in the U.S.
(I can access Facebook, Twitter and Blogger blogs -- all are currently blocked -- using a VPN server, but it's kind of humbug sometimes.)
@theDman -- True - you have to look at what's happening on the ground here before you can prescribe instant democracy as a fix-all. In class yesterday, we discussed village-level elections. It seems voter turn-out in China is pretty similar to Hawaii! Just kidding. Sort of.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:15 am
Kim,
I really enjoy reading your experiences at HNC. However, I think you may want to qualify this post--it gives the impression that HNC is responsible for blocking your access to Facebook.
Your comment that "even though the Hopkins Nanjing Center is supposed to resemble a U.S. university, there is a sense that individuals here are still not totally free to say or write whatever they want" is problematic for several reasons. HNC is a JOINT and collaborative venture--both JHU and Nanjing University are equal partners, housed on Nanjing University campus, which happens to be located in China, therefore subject to Chinese laws. I think that needs to be made clear.
Also, I think it would be nice to elaborate on this "sense" you feel. For example, it's extremely difficult for Chinese students to be vocal in the way international students are, for a variety of reasons I'm sure you can explain. Otherwise, it sounds like you think that HNC admin or professors are enforcing some kind of censorship on their students. Would you please clarify so that stereotypes will not reproduce more stereotypes?
I really do enjoy your posts, so I hope you keep on subverting the Great Firewall of China!
November 10th, 2009 at 6:46 am
@Kim,
Thanks for the info, it is fascinating and your comment about China coming to terms the Cultural Revolution and its fairly recent past is interesting. I apologize for asking because I know your time is limited, but I'm also curious how the Chinese treat their intellectual heritage, specifically Confucianism. Confucius was so heavily criticized as being part of the 'four olds' and more. Yet, when I was in Xian, the guides took pride in saying, if you climb to the top of the steps -- think it was the "Big Goose" or 'Wild Goose" pagoda -- you will be doing the same thing scholars did when they passed the national civil service examinations. Or maybe that could be a future blog topic. Anyway, thanks for doing what you are doing.
November 10th, 2009 at 7:13 am
@An alum
You quoted only part of what Kim wrote. Her full statement was "Today, what bothers me more is internet censorship (it bars me from Facebook!), a lack of free press, and -- very seriously -- the fact that even though the Hopkins Nanjing Center is supposed to resemble a U.S. university, there is a sense that individuals here are still not totally free to say or write whatever they want."
That statement seems clear enough and it conveys quite a bit, namely that Chinese Society is not as fee as American society. China is still a country dominated by an oligarchy. It is not a democracy. That is just the way it is. When you work or study in a country whose government is much more restrictive than ours, then you have a sense of loss of freedom. Not sure what your point is. Hopkins Nanjing Center is set up in China and the colonial days of 'extraterritoriality' are gone. So, the Chinese government can call the shots. Not sure that needs clarification. Think Kim's readers are smart enough to realize that this is the Chinese government and not HNC.
Frankly, @An alum, your statement "HNC is a JOINT and collaborative venture--both JHU and Nanjing University are equal partners, housed on Nanjing University campus, which happens to be located in China, therefore subject to Chinese laws." --- well, sorry, but to me the statement is gratutious. If you have read this blog a while you know two thing: first, most of us don't worry about political correctness and, second, we have a sense of humor. That doesn't mean we can't be serious, but think I can safely say that we (Kim's readers) do not take ourselves too seriously.
November 10th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
@An alum -- Thanks for your comment. It was not my intention to suggest somehow that HNC is blocking my access to Facebook, so apologies if that was unclear. If the same sentence can somehow be read to mean that HNC is causing a "lack of free press," then that wasn't my intention either.
It is good to reiterate that HNC is a joint venture, run jointly by Nanjing University and Johns Hopkins, and as you know (if you are "an alum" of HNC?), we have two co-directors, one American and one Chinese.
You point out that HNC, its faculty, staff and students fall under Chinese law -- yes, that's my point exactly! The point of this post was to elaborate on the difficulties of trying to cultivate a *freer* American-style education in China, due to social, cultural and even legal barriers to free speech and expression. Those are the walls that have not yet fallen.
Regarding censorship -- I have never personally felt that I am being censored by professors or peers, but I do believe that there is a good amount of self-censorship that goes on here. It goes back to your point about being in China, living under Chinese law. From the first day, we were reminded and have since Day 1 been acutely aware that this is NOT an American institution and because we do live in China, we must be respectful of rules, written and unspoken, that govern our actions. If this were an American university on American soil, there would of course still be restrictions, but not of the same nature and I dare say not of the same strictness as HNC students currently face living and studying in Nanjing. Therefore, I don't think it's a stereotype -- I think everyone here, Chinese AND international, is very aware of where we are and the possible repercussions of our actions, and we act accordingly. I think the result of that in some cases is self-censorship.
HNC is a unique institution with an important mission. I do believe the goal here is to approach education in more of an American-style way than a Chinese-style way. But based simply on where we are, the education here can never be fully American-style. As I mentioned in the post, that's kind of the point of my being here -- to see what the reality is. On the other hand, I personally believe that openness is crucial to education, so it's been difficult to adjust to the limitations in that respect.
November 10th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I don't know what a face book is, I just like an old fashion book. Twitter, I just call my friend on our cellphone. Freedom to do this. I have not been bothered by censorships.