Reflecting on 1978: Don't Be Deceived by CCP Propaganda
Jul 22, 2024
In 1978, at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the CCP seemed to reflect on its mistakes and corrected unrealistic policies, marking a significant turning point in Chinese history. However, this reflection primarily focused on pragmatic adjustments to economic policies and governance, selectively acknowledging certain errors.
In the CCP’s historical narrative, the term “denial” is often used to describe how the Party handles its mistakes, seemingly showcasing an attitude of correction, such as the “denial” of the Cultural Revolution and other ultra-leftist policies. However, this apparent “denial” is extremely cunning because only when mistakes are recognized and acknowledged does “denial” hold any meaning and can be subject to negation—unrecognized errors cannot be denied, and those that are unwilling to be acknowledged are avoided. Since many critical errors during and after the Cultural Revolution were not truly recognized and acknowledged by the CCP, there can be no real talk of “denial.” This use of “denial” in language essentially conceals the CCP’s evasion of its mistakes and responsibilities, leading to a series of problems that have emerged in Chinese society since then. Below are some of the unrecognized errors by the CCP:
1. Unchecked Abuse of Power
Mao Zedong was the main instigator and planner of the Cultural Revolution. He used his authority and influence to issue directives and political slogans such as “To Rebel is Justified” and “Down with Capitalist Roaders,” to maintain his power and attack “enemies” both inside and outside the Party. These slogans had no clear legal meaning and were highly dependent on the leader’s interpretation and political mobilization, leading to arbitrary abuse of personal power.
However, in the CCP’s post-1978 reflection, the root cause of this power abuse was not thoroughly recognized. Instead, the CCP’s narrative simply attributed the errors of the Cultural Revolution to a “left-leaning line” or to individual leaders, avoiding reflection on the over-concentration of power and the lack of legal and institutional constraints. As a result, the phenomenon of power abuse has continued into the current political landscape of the CCP. A directive, or even a word from a leader can override laws and institutions, forming a concept of power supremacy. For example, the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 is an example of such power abuse, where the CCP government once again used force to suppress a student movement calling for political reform.
2. Disregard for Life and Human Rights
During the Cultural Revolution, hundreds of thousands of people were persecuted to death, and many more suffered various forms of inhumane treatment. After the Cultural Revolution, the CCP adopted a policy of “rehabilitation,” restoring the reputations of some individuals and groups persecuted during that time.
However, this so-called “rehabilitation” was more of a political arrangement, a decision made from a position of superiority to glorify and rebuild authority, rather than a genuine apology or compensation for the victims. The CCP never formally or publicly apologized for the mass persecution, illegal detention, torture, and killings during the Cultural Revolution, nor did it provide systematic compensation to the victims, let alone establish a memorial day to commemorate those who died. This reflects the CCP’s perfunctory attitude in dealing with its mistakes, rather than a sincere recognition and correction of them to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Many leaders and active participants committed serious human rights violations, including illegal detention, torture, and executions. However, after the Cultural Revolution, most of these perpetrators were not held legally accountable. Even when some top leaders faced Party disciplinary actions, these were mostly the result of political struggles rather than manifestations of judicial justice. There was no widespread legal punishment for officials and their followers who directly carried out and executed the atrocities. This further illustrates the CCP’s incomplete reflection on this period of history.
3. Selective Forgetting of Historical Memory
The Cultural Revolution is often glossed over or briefly mentioned in official history books and textbooks. The CCP avoids in-depth discussion of the Cultural Revolution in the public domain and has not established a special memorial day to mourn the victims of the Cultural Revolution. The younger generation’s understanding of the Cultural Revolution mostly comes from the CCP’s one-sided official narrative, rather than a comprehensive and objective historical analysis.
This selective memory and “downplaying” of history mean that the CCP avoided fully acknowledging its historical responsibility during the reflection period after the Cultural Revolution. This evasion of responsibility hinders society’s comprehensive and deep reflection and healing from the painful lessons of the Cultural Revolution.
History that is not deeply reflected upon is easily forgotten or distorted, and unrecognized mistakes are likely to repeat under new historical conditions. The CCP’s “pragmatism” in this regard is, in reality, a shortsighted approach, sacrificing society’s long-term interests and future prospects in exchange for the stability of current rule.
Conclusion
The CCP’s reflection in 1978 did not touch upon the crimes it committed against the people during political movements, and it has never made a profound reflection or apology for them. This period of history is barely mentioned or is glossed over in many officially published history books, and no memorial day exists to remember those who died in political movements.
The CCP’s disregard for life, as well as its lack of proper reflection on its crimes, laid the groundwork for the brutal suppression of student protests and the bloodshed at Tiananmen Square in 1989. This reality is something that each of us must deeply contemplate and be vigilant about, so as not to be blinded by CCP propaganda.
– This text was translated by AI. –