Table of Content: HOW TO RAISE A RESILIENT KID: I AM NOT RIGHT BUT THAT’S OK
No government can do any good if the people are not good. For the prosperity of a country, the people must be empowered to pursue their happiness by themselves. A million fingers are stronger than a fist. While the large open market, leader selection process, government planning, and political system are important, a big part of the credits for China’s success should go to the people. The people are good because the Chinese culture is resilient. The book recommended above is an excellent description of the founders and foundation of Chinese culture. It started at the beginning of Zhou Dynasty in 1046 BC after the toppling of Shang Dynasty. The culture was largely kept until today. In the past 3000 years, no barbarians had ever ruled China for more than 100 years; they were either pushed back to where they came from, or they became Chinese themselves. Chinese culture does not belong to people of Chinese country. Chinese culture belongs to all civilized people of the world. Everybody can become a Chinese. Everybody can become a Chinese.
Since the beginning of Zhou Dynasty, the people were educated to understand the “Mandate of the Heaven” (君权天授), and that the “Heaven” see and listen through the people (天视自我民视，天听自我民听). If the people despise the government, the “Heaven” will change the government and lead to a change of Dynasty. This has two effects: (1) it legitimizes the people to topple the government (like Zhou Dynasty did, and what the CCP did) if the government doesn’t care about the people (the people can disregard what the laws say otherwise), (2) the government must put the peoples’ interest as the top priority. If a Dynasty fall, it is the fault of the previous government; it is the doing of the “Heaven” through the people. The “Heaven” then gives the Mandate to a new government. Every government knows it must respect the people, and rule the Middle Kingdom with morals and ethics (以人为本、以德治国).
The Chinese culture is based on “Collectivism” (群体至上). The interest of the people, therefore the country, is above the interest of individual. This is the reason why Nationalism is so strong in China. The country belongs to the people. The people are loyal to the Emperor because they love their family; they are loyal to the country because of the interest of their family. They know their family will not survive if the country is in chaos; the family will prosper if the country is in order (一荣俱荣 一损俱损). It is not blind loyalty. The business of China is a gigantic family business.
The requirement to rule the country with morals and ethics necessarily entails high morality requirement on the leaders. That means the leader must be a Sage, ideally; nothing to do with God or religion. Chinese admire Sages, who are humans and not God. Hierarchy and Harmony are maintained via codes of conduct and art (礼和乐), respectively. An individual is judged by his conduct, and not his words. Therefore, Chinese are very realistic (or materialistic) (现实精神). I am your friend only if you are friendly to me (even if you are a God); I will not hesitate to change my friend (or God) if you are not friendly to me.
Chinese are obsessed with peace and stability. They will do anything to avoid war (including paying bribe to the barbaric aggressors), but at the same time they are not afraid to go to war if that is what it takes to ensure the safety of their family. They care for their family more than the country; the love for their family is the source of their Nationalistic behavior. Similarly, they never wait for any welfare from the government (or the God) but strive to bring better life for their family. That is the reason why Socialism doesn’t fail in China; it is the people, not the government system. That is also why Socialism works in China; the government put the peoples’ interest as the top priority, and the people work with the government to ensure success of the gigantic “family business”. Socialism necessarily requires autocratic leader (like tiger mom), according to Ludwig von Mises. That is not necessarily a bad thing for China. One may say that China has always been a Socialist country with Capitalistic characteristics for 3000 years; Collectivism, centralization of power, autocratic, central planning. One-person-one-vote will spell the beginning of China’s decline.
Chinese culture respect honorable individuals more than ultra-riches. True leaders vow to be remembered in the history as honorable individuals. Because of this, Chinese culture produces a big pool of great leaders to be selected as the supreme leader. This is in contrast to some cultures which produces leaders who are only good at giving speeches, telling mythological stories, propagating lies, and making empty promises in front of large congregation. Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping are all familiar with Yi Jing, Confucianism, Dao De Jing, Zhuang Zi, Sun Zi Art of War etc. If you do not know all these, your Chinese essay will not be taken seriously.
The “First Order” Empire may be able to conquer China with its military might. However, so long as the Chinese culture survive, Luke Skywalker will return and China will be resurrected.
RESILIENT KID 