In his youth, Mao Zedong (?翾A東) was said to once recite a poem while swimming across the Xiangjiang (?eth>|? River: "Confident of a 200-year human life, I will swim across 3,000 li." It was fine for the youthful Mao to believe he would live to the age of 200, given his love for raving. But still bloated with confidence in his old age, Mao led China to one of its biggest disasters in history -- the Cultural Revolution.
This time, Jiang Zemin (
It is fine to dream and rave, as long as one does not take it seriously and it causes no harm. But words can create a major catastrophe if taken seriously, especially if spoken by someone who has power.
Mao never realized that his "confidence in a 200-year human life" was an impossible dream. Likewise, "unification" or "restoration of the nation" has been the dream of those in power after the political split across the Taiwan Strait since 1949. Since the establishment of the PRC, Mao, Zhou Enlai (
But dreams are just that. If people are forced to see the dream of unification come true, there can only be disaster.
Perhaps Jiang's dream of "unification within 50 years" should also be seen in this light. Jiang is China's third-generation core leader. Will the leaders 50 years from now have their own dreams? Jiang must never repeat Mao's big mistake.
Hu Wen-huei is the Deputy Editor in Chief of the Liberty Times.
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