Economic with the truth

2011-06-26T23:54:00.005+08:00

It was some bizarre kind of impulse thinking that has prompted me to start my first ever blog. I still don't know exactly why, but something told me that it was time for me to write my thoughts down.

More than ever, I feel it is the time in my life where I can share my thoughts with the blogsphere, basically the web. Whether these thoughts, opinions, BS (really?!) are relevant, interesting or important to you - that's another question all together. But enough of this quasi-introductory rambling.

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What I really want to use as a starting point is a movie I watched today - and this is no ordinary movie - it's named 建黨偉業 or in English Beginning of the Great Revival that was a historical film that portrayed the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (historical accuracy I will delve into shortly). The release was aptly timed - or timed for a reason, as this July would mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the party.

Whether the movie was enjoyable or not was immaterial. But like an earlier film, Founding of a Beginning of the Great Revival（建國大業), this was very much a propaganda epic. Much of the development of the story focused on the merits of Communism and there was no single point, or even subtle implication on the not so glorious truths of this historical chapter. It is a film filled with 'inspirational' speeches on the need for a new China, a new 'Communist' China. Mao, along with several other key early CCP figures, were glorified in the movie.

This film is basically very, very economic with the truth. It is one of PRC's many tools to boost nationalism at a time when it really needs it - or should I say, the people's support isn't even needed in China.

But as Hong Kong-er, I am of Chinese ethnicity. Obligation or not, the world is rapidly changing and I feel the once effective ways of brainwashing, propaganda and such are no longer effective. I think this film is in fact quite counter-productive, because any reasonable person with some knowledge of modern Chinese history would know the film is really missing something - not the truth, as there is no absolute truth - but more perspectives of the truth.

There was a scene of students protesting during the May Fourth Movement, and that immediately made me think of one thing. Now ten years into the 21st century, will change, and I mean political change finally come for China? Will Chinese people rise up, just like 100 years ago, and attempt and successfully overthrow an outdated, monarchical regime? That was the ultimate question that was hanging in my head.

I asked a friend from Mainland China who Liu Xiaobo is, and she replied she never heard of such a figure. I was initially shocked, but I came to terms with the situation in China. Unless a huge uprising, revolution occurs, China (at least politically) will stay the same for many, many years to come.

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Economic with the truth