ReflectiveEssay-ZachTaylor

Please Vote For Me is a charming documentary that follows the “political campaigns” of three primary school students competing for the role of class monitor. This democraticlly experimental approach at such a young age is endearing as young students try to win the votes of their classmates, however it also highlights a more serious vein to the Chinese social dynamic. The parents in this documentary are not surprisingly supportive of their children, but they are also highly direct and even politically harsh in the ways in which they guide the path of their own children’s campaigns. Parents wrote speeches, suggested smear campaigning, organized class field trips at their own expense, and even paid for gifts to “bribe” voters. This is standard procedure for the American political system, but I believe a democratic process of the same extent in an American elementary school would be far more tame and parents would encourage fair play. This early exposure to the competitive aspects to politics is an insight into the Chinese culture and political system as a whole. As we have studied in this course corruption is an ongoing issue in Chinese government and is recognized by the Chinese people. It is never explicitly stated in the documentary, but it is clear that playing dirty and manipulating others is the clear path to political success in the eyes of these average Chinese families.

In my opinion, one of the most prudently controlled aspects of society by the CCP is “free expression.” Upon reading Yue’s piece on art districts in China, I was initially shocked at the government’s willingness to allow such communities to exist. Such communities naturally produce all kinds of art and thus portray different views onto canvases. With such a tight grip on propaganda control, it seems counterintuitive to allow these artists to work freely and quite possibly create works that don’t entirely agree with the communist party. Even more shocking was the support of these communities by the Chinese government. However, after looking into the details, it became very clear that it is all an elaborate system to control the content of the art produced there. The government does support certain viewing times and holds festivals to show art, however these times are fixed and to show art outside of these times is punishable by fine. With this in place it is possible to preview the art beforehand and censor any works that may be too controversial. This delicate balance between censorship and allowing artistic communities to thrive shows the prudence that the party possesses when it comes to controlling a populations perspective.

Following the life of the mayor and political developments within the city of Datong, The Chinese Mayor is a curious documentary that raises many questions about the Chinese political system and its interaction with citizens. The film highlights the restoration and reconstruction of a replica ancient Wall and a push for a “cultural renaissance.” The large scale demolition, reconstruction, and refacing of the entire city was the ambitious vision of mayor Geng Yanbo during his time in office and also saw the relocation of hundreds of thousands if not millions of Datong’s residents. One of the most shocking aspects to the film and the project was the lack of a chain of command in regards to decision making. On multiple occasions mayor Geng inspects basic construction sites and routinely corrects the design mistakes. He himself must make changes to simple things like the size of drainage pipes or the type of cement used in a foundation. This may be a ploy by the film to over emphasize his influence, but regardless of it’s purpose, the simple fact of this required micromanagement shows an inherent problem with the local government structures in China. Furthermore, Geng’s successor has made no effort to continue his project showing an even greater dissconnect.

After digesting the somber and eye-opening documentary Petition, I was particularly struck by the persistence of so many Chinese petitioners. The film highlighted so many lives that were utterly destroyed by the immoral and unjust actions of the state or its representative figures. Some lost their jobs, some lost their health, and others lost their loved ones. With such severe cases it is only logical and natural to seek some sort of reparation, however many of the petitioners that are turned away, or unjustly ignored decide to persist. Many individuals featured in the film spend months, years, and even decades living on the streets and fighting for some sort of resolution to their problems. Some of these individuals have dedicated their lives to this mission of justice, and in so doing, destroy whatever portion of a life they had left. The film also displays the utter incompetence and failure of the petition offices to even address these grievances. This combination forms a vivid picture of the states inability or blatant disregard for the wellbeing of it’s citizens and the utter hopelessness that this causes. Despite the dead end of corruption, Chinese petitioners keep marching on.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “Media” is defined as being “a medium of cultivation, conveyance, or expression.” If Mass media is essentially the use of newspapers, websites, television, or radio to convey information or express ones opinion, than is the news in China truly news, if it is largely controlled by the propaganda institutions? In recent years the regulation of media has become a growing issue. The rise of social media has threatened the CCP’s control over public opinion with its instant and widespread flow of information. Many newspapers in China have also undergone a separation from the direct funding and control of the government and have begun the process of liberalization of many newspapers. Even with this progress, the influence that the propaganda department has on media is significant. This is clearly seen when analyzing how the positively altered newspaper stories cooled anti-japanese protests in 2005. Did those newspapers really provide “news” for the Chinese people? Does “news” require accuracy to be considered news? If the stories printed on Chinese newspapers are carefully crafted biased articles controlled by the propaganda department, then wouldn’t it simply be the repression of actual news?…

To Live is a powerful and well directed Chinese film. My first impression after watching it in class was a mixture of surprise and heartbreak. I was amazed at how intense the pro communist and pro Mao propaganda was at the time. I had no idea that every aspect to daily life was in some way affected. Even at the daughters wedding, Mao was the central focus. Songs were sung about the grandeur of communism and the wedding photos subtly featured red books in hand, a red boat prop, and a portrait of Mao Zedong himself for the scenic backdrop. Another large takeaway for me was the desirability of being as low on the social/political totem pole as possible. At one point mr. Fugui says that “its good to be poor.” This struck me as somewhat of an internal struggle that many Chinese people struggled with during Mao’s reign. On one hand, you were indoctrinated to support the growth of communism and how it will make life so much better, but on the other hand, you are constantly in fear of the government and your life is slowly deteriorating.

After taking a closer look at the formation and evolution of the Chinese Communist Party, it became very clear that the CCP is viewed as more than just a political party in China. According to Wang Changjiang, the chinese people view political leaders as moral and virtues figures and welcome the control of the government as a form of guidance and provision (China’s Political Development pg. 77).  They have a sense of trust in their leaders that is foreign to western thought. This subject-based culture is also complimented by the institution of the family. Social order and morality is largely upheld within this family structure and the state is viewed as an “enlarged family” (CPD pg. 77). To further solidify this intermingling of state and family, the Chinese word for “state” (guojia) literally means “country family” when translated into english. Being a westerner myself, it is hard to comprehend such a deep and widespread loyalty to a political system that was growing and changing so rapidly. In America it is extremely rare to ever see a decision, change, or claim go through without scrutiny and opposition.

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