China’s National People’s Congress passed the Patriotic Education Law (愛國主義教育法) to bolster patriotic education for children and families, leading to a vehement backlash on the Internet. Even though patriotism should be a good thing, when the supposedly voluntary sentiment becomes “compulsory” and regulated by law, it only underscores the sad truth — China has no confidence in its political regime and so needs repression and ideological control to keep Chinese and their thinking and actions under the thumb of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
One of the most ludicrous points is to incorporate Taiwan into the law, using the opportunity to realize “unification,” which only accentuates the absurdity and frivolity of the law.
The law has been introduced to reinforce the CCP regime, seize control of people’s minds and boost the party’s control.
Many other governments have let their people become masters of the nation, establishing systems based on the public will and using democracy to unite people. In this way, people naturally develop a sense of patriotism.
China intends to use cultural history to unite people, yet this kind of narrow ruling not only fails to unite people, but triggers the very opposite effect — Chinese know that the CCP is coercing them to love the party.
Culture is humanity’s greatest asset, not a tool for the CCP to monopolize. The CCP’s crackdown on human rights and its ruthless governance do not put it in any position to talk about culture, let alone tradition, ethics or morality.
The CCP does not have the public will behind it — the party uses pressure and fear to control the people without sparing a thought for their welfare. Many high-level Chinese officials have bought real estate in the US and sent their families abroad, and now seek a law that breathes down people’s necks under the banner of patriotism.
The cold, hard truth is that there is no love or patriotism in China’s ruling class and the state apparatus has become a plaything for them to abuse.
Chen Chi-nung is principal of Shuili Junior High School in Nantou County.
Translated by Rita Wang
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