Zhu, Dongfang: Sealing People’s Mouth is More Than
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Date: 3/25/2010 10:40:54 AM
Sender: Zhu, Dongfang
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Zhu, Dongfang: Sealing People’s Mouth is More Than Preventing Floods
朱东方（Zhu, Dongfang)
At the end of West Zhou Dynasty, King Zhouli was at regime. He trusted the immoral official named Mr. Rongyi and ignored suggestions from wise officials Mr. Zhou and Mr. Zhao. King Zhouli started to take violent policies that monopoly all lakes and rivers. Ordinary people are forbidden to utilize natural resources for their living. The government even extorted property of people and tortured them. The political authority became corruptive day after day. Finally the kingdom fell.
The brutal character of King Zgouli triggered national wide anger. Some people openly criticized King Zhouli’s cruelty in spite of possible fatal danger. Mr. Zhao reported to the King: “People can’t afford the living difficulties anymore!” King Zhouli got extremely angry. He summoned a wizard from Wei Country to supervise his critics. The wizard told names of these dissents to King Zhouli and the King will arrest them and brutally kill them. From then on, no one in capital of Zhou dared to discuss current political affairs. When people met others on road, they just took a look of each other. King Zhouli was more than happy at this situation. He spoke with pride to Mr. Zhao: “I can conceal people’s critics, you have nothing to say.” Mr. Zhao responded with pain: “At a place named Zhang, people’s mouths are sealed more than the floods. Finally, the floods flowed out and killed thousands of people. The example can be applied to people as well. When deal with floods, we must construct drainages to divert. When deal with people’s talk, we need allow them to speak out loudly…” However, King Zhouli paid no attention to Mr. Zhou‘s reasonable suggestion and implemented his violent policies.
Three years later, in 841BC, the people can’t tolerate his cruelty anymore. A large scale of revolution started. People besieged the palace and intended to kill King Zhouli. King Zhouli heard the information of people’s coming and hurried to escape with a group of followers. They fled out the palace and ran across the Yellow River until the mountain Zhi. The people attacked the palace and finally entered it, but they couldn’t find King Zhouli. Someone found out that prince Jing had escaped to the house of Mr.Zhao. They encircled his house and asked Mr. Zhao to hand out prince Jing. Without any way out, Mr.Zhao has to send out his son out replacing prince Jing. Therefore, prince Jing was finally alive. This revolution is called “ People’s Revolt” in history. After discussion with the officials, Mr.Zhao and another official Mr.Zhou hosted a noble meeting to exert the responsibility of King Zhouli. This period is called “Republic Politics”. The republic political continued for 14 years until the death of King Zhouli at Zhi. The officials collaboratively endorsed prince Jijing to be the successor. He was then the King Zhouxuan. King Zhouxuan was much more enlightened and merciful. He received support from a lot of people. After the “People’s Revolt”, West Zhou Dynasty was damaged deeply and extinct not long later. The history of China stepped into a war-torn phase, that is, the Spring- Autumn Period.
There are many dissolute and brutal rulers in history of China. They scared the critics from people, so took severe measures to oppress social discussion as if they could live without worry and danger for long. As a matter of fact, these behaviors were totally foolish. Not only did people’s hopes not be heard by the King, but also the unreasonable policies made by the King can’t be finely corrected. The social contradictions then intensified. The even more scary aspect lies in the internal hatred of people who couldn’t find their voice heard. When the socials contradiction accumulated and reached the explosion point, large scale riots would certainly happen. The social productivity is deeply damaged. It is said the “Sealing People’s Mouth is More Than Preventing Floods”. Chinese people are the most endurable nation who can tolerate violent politics and China is also the country with most revolutions.
Justice and equality have never left the mind of every generation. At time of convenient communication, righteous talks of people are still oppressed and blocked inside China. Sealing People’s Mouth is More Than Preventing Floods. The history repeats continuously. After the extinction of revolutionary fire because of CCP authority’s military power, the people of China may have to be what is said by Mr. Xun Lu: “Explode in Silence or Die in Silence”.
Zhu, Dongfang
March 25, 2010
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