One of China's Own raises a big stink.... Part 1

(I'll get the rest of this out asap....didn't want what I have already written to sit around, so I just decided to put it out now as Part 1)

In 1862 Abraham Lincoln met Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.  It was already one of the biggest selling books in America.  At the time of their meeting, his initial remarks to the diminutive Ms. Stowe were,

“So you’re the little lady that started this war.”

So can be said of Chai Jing, a remarkably talented and charming investigative reporter in China(they do exist).  Her tome Under the Dome will probably when an Oscar for best foreign documentary next year, and if it doesn’t I’m sure a lot of questions will be asked.  Originally a 4 hour long epic(that I’d love to see in its entirety, as I’ve read the original is far more biting), this documentary is something all people interested in not just China, but World Health must watch.   While it took me 4 or 5 sittings to finish it, it is well worth the effort.  It is a modern day version of River Elegy, another documentary on China, by Chinese, that must be watched as well (that sadly almost no Chinese will ever see).

So who the hell is Chai Jing, and why should we care? 

The only thing worth knowing is that she is from within the system.  She is not an outsider.  Only someone with her background and national recognition could have gained the access required to the officials necessary to make her points relevant.  And the fact she is a charming lady did not hurt her cause. 

Chai Jing is the perfect foil to the opaque nature of not just China’s Governing Machinery, but to the unchallenged consequences of China’s Unaccountable Decision Making Power as well.  Because of her prestige, and knowledge of the system, she was wise enough to actually get her script approved from the State before actually showing it.   In effect, she did everything she was supposed to do. 

And they still banned it.

One can say the supposed 150 million views of her documentary only make up 12% of the population.  And that many folks with families and jobs simply cannot watch this in one sitting. Fair enough. But what one must not discount is that without question this documentary was watched not just by the powers that be, but also by China’s future leaders, ie it’s educated youth.  While the 

Peasants are the class of people that will decide whether China slides into eventual Chaos or not, it is the college educated youth this documentary was clearly aimed at, and who will be the future managers and decision makers of China’s Fate. 

This documentary is her appeal to them.

China’s leader Xi is actually making a monumental blunder not publicly espousing the benefits of this documentary.  Like Kennedy during the Civil Rights Movement of the 60’s, he’s looking the other way.

Or is he?

Xi knows damn well that if he publicly comes out and praises this film, expectations towards solving this problem will increase exponentially.  Rather, he’s currently content to sit on the laurels of his success as regards the anti-corruption campaign.   Everyone in China is corrupt.  It’s easy to arrest people and send them to jail. 

And JFK?  He knew only too well that his public support of Civil Rights for the Black Man would endanger his political support in the “Solid South”.    And as power in the Senate was controlled by a bunch of old, condescending, racist Southern White Men anyway, who had absolutely no fear of this “Boy”, JFK’s hands were literally tied.

 All the same, Chai Jing has unleashed a controversy that can neither be forgotten nor put back in the can.  If this was Russia, she’d probably be assassinated.  Never more clearly has the divide between government policy and the consequences of that policy been more stark.   As I’ve said before, the future of China is dependent upon the ability and courage of China’s governmental mid managers.   

They do all the work.  They create the laws.  The wording.  They educate their bosses on what stance to take on policy.  Their bosses in turn are usually just higher ranking CCP officials that transfer around a lot.  Not these guys.  They study and learn policy.  But there are two types of them today:  those with courage that advocate the right thing, and those that simply take the money and fend for themselves.