As I spent the entire afternoon eagerly reading every word of the book “Nine Commentaries on the Chinese Communist Party (The Nine Commentaries),” I became more and more excited as I realized that this book is very capable of sobering up Chinese people, which is precisely what they need the most right now.
When I finished reading the book, I ardently congratulated myself for not being a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). When I was younger, I worked in a large state-owned enterprise for more than 10 years. During my career I had always done a good job without making any mistakes. My outstanding performance at my job along with my active involvement in the activities of the Communist Youth League was recognized by the so-called “Party.”
So, with a loyal heart I submitted an application to join the CCP, an action which I am now deeply ashamed of, and thus became the object of both the CCP’s favors and tests.
The CCP required that I submit monthly reports to them confessing both my thoughts and my personal life. This was confusing to me. Why on earth do I have to report my thoughts and personal life to join their party? Besides, I despised the CCP Committee Secretary in my workplace because he was known for sexually harassing female employees. How could I report my thoughts and my life to someone like him? Thus, I refused to write such reports.
For unknown reasons, the CCP generously spared me for not obeying their orders, however I was still their target. About five months later the committee head told me through the Party group leader, “You are the key target of the CCP. You’d better think about what you should do. The Committee Secretary is waiting for your response.”
I was not stupid, and thus I understood the group leader was suggesting that I bribe the secretary to show loyalty and be accepted.
However, I was born with self-respect. I hated bribery and flattery. Although I did not know about the party then as clearly as I do now, I felt the party could not be good if I had to lower myself to that kind of level and offer bribes to join it. So I decided to play dumb and not respond to the suggestion.
My stubbornness displeased the CCP. Later I was expelled from their target list. I didn’t consider this a loss though, because I was disappointed with the CCP and no longer wanted to join. What I did not expect, however, was the ensuing pressure. I was replaced as the production team leader at my workplace and my operational safety fund application was denied. What was even more ridiculous is that when I was got sick and was hospitalized, the CCP leaders publicly criticized me at the employee meeting, saying that my physical illness was caused by an “unhealthy mind.”
It was obvious that my life in my workplace would only just become harder and harder, so as a result I began to look for an opportunity to leave. Luckily for me, writing is one of my strong points. When I began to feel increased pressure, I promptly left the company and began a career as an author.
There’s a saying: If one does not enter into a profession, one does not know what that profession entails. After I began writing I learned about many things that were not allowed to be published. If there is even a slight “suspicion” regarding the plot or wording of something, the book will not pass its inspection, let alone works that have a stronger political flavor.
Even though I knew that this was the CCP controlling the expression of opinion and suppressing cultural works, I still couldn’t see through the rouse. After reading the “Nine Commentaries,” I at last completely understand it. Suppression of culture and controlling opinions is nothing more than a consistent method that the CCP uses when going about its business.
The culture in today’s China has already reached the point of being a complete failure. This is especially true in the literary world. Every time I discuss today’s Chinese literature with my friends and colleagues, we come to a similar understanding: there is simply no more literature of any genuine significance remaining in China today.
That’s right, there really is no more truly significant writings in modern China. An ancient country that sits on five thousand years of culture and civilization, a powerful country that is reliant on using ancient words to teach “morals through words,” and a country that has profound ethnic culture has lost all of its truly meaningful literature. This can do nothing but cause us pain.
The blockade, crackdowns against and control of culture by the CCP are the direct cause of the current predicament. Several million books are published every year in China, but 99% of them are trash. Some books are poorly put together and are unqualified to be called literary reading material. Some are full of plagiarism and are a waste of paper.
Furthermore, these books offer no benefits to the reader. Instead the reader may instead acquire thoughts of laziness, impulsive thinking, lack of desire and ambition and other notions. These are precisely the thoughts that the CCP needs people to have. The CCP wants Chinese people to have no desire and no demands. They want the people to have no thoughts, and even better, no direct line of thinking. This is the way their regime is able to continue.
Yet the appearance of the “Nine Commentaries” has undoubtedly created a wave of voices in China. People secretly pass the information on and have discussions about the material. From this, they’ve increased the people’s recognition of the CCP’s true identity. However I differ from them in that not only have I completely seen through the CCP’s true identity from reading the “Nine Commentaries,” but at the same time I profoundly celebrate [seeing through it].
I became very happy that I did not sink lower and follow the path of other contemporaries. I did not become a “prospect” in the “party organization.” In the end, I am able to celebrate that I was not a member of the CCP.
I believe that there are many people in China who should celebrate just as I have. Even though their reasons for not joining the communist party differ, they will still all feel blessed for not being members. And of course, the most celebrated people are the ones who’ve read the “Nine Commentaries” and gained clarity. They have truly recognized the real identity of the CCP on a fundamental level.
Just as described in the “Nine Commentaries,” a party that places itself above the country and the government isn’t a party that can have longevity. I believe in the near future the CCP will fall into the grave it has dug for itself and will grieve with sorrow.