Yi Wang：Discussion on the relationship between dem
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Date: 2/9/2007 4:55:20 PM
Sender: Wang, Yi
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Wang, Yi: Discussion on the relationship between democracy and freedom
I read an article on Hong Kong New Week recently, the articles talks about 1st chapter of “JiangZeMin Wen Xuan”, named as “Chinese always has its national pride”. In the chapter, when mentioning “June 4th movement”, Jiang ZeMin thinks the students claim for democracy and freedom do not know the meaning of it. He gives an example and says, “during June 4th movement, some students went on a hunger strike. I went to visit them at the hospital. One female student told me that she wanted democracy and freedom. I asked her what kind of democracy and freedom she was asking for? She could answer. This example shows that some younger people do not know the correct concept of democracy and freedom.”
Was that how it was? I do not agree. It is Jiang ZeMin who is judgmental and draw his conclusion too early. Let’s not to mention this female student maybe nervous, she maybe not interested in playing word games with him. I would not draw the conclusion that younger people do not know what democracy and freedom means, only because one female student did not respond to his question on democracy. Longing for democracy and freedom is human instinct.
Only the people who understand complicated theories have the right
for democracy and freedom? For people do not understand the great meaning of life, shall they be deny the right of existence?
From another point of view, not everybody can answer questions about democracy and freedom, or say, many younger people do not have correct understanding of democracy and freedom, this just prove the government is problematic. People pursue freedom and democracy when they do not fully understand the true meaning of them. It can be seen how far CCP autocracy has gone.
The most ridiculous part of it is the problem in itself. Do freedom and democracy have different versions? I think what Mr, Jiang hopes to see is the Chinese version, a democracy which is under people’s dictatorship and a freedom which is highly concentrated, such is the democracy and freedom with Chinese character.
In the same article, Jiang said, “Foreign Minister Qian, Qichen both joined the CCP underground activities. We joined the parades and shouted slogans: We want democracy! We want freedom!” I would like to ask, they were then young people. Why they could shout while we can’t. Is it that the young people now have lower IQ? If it is so, it should contribute to CCP’s persecution. Morever, in Jiang’s logic, Guomingtang is better than CCP. At least, young people had correct concept on freedom and democracy. If not, Mr. Jiang should have had other purposes when he shouted freedom and democracy then.
The most ridiculous part is Mr. Jiang’s criticism in this article: In 1986, some students in Shanghai used two paragraphs in Lincoln’s
Gettysburg Address as their slogans, but they do not know about the
historic background of this address,” but he himself, he went on “ had learnt Lincoln’s presentation and can recite the whole address”. No clue to what he means. Mr, Jiang may intend to make it clear how well he knew about the theory of freedom and democracy. What then? Still is he a dictator.
Therefore, pursuit of freedom and democracy makes no difference in one’s race or age or theoretic level. No matter what it is, he has the right to long for democracy and freedom.
Wang, Yi
11/3/2006
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