Years of Poems and Spirits

Just heard the news that Nancy Pelosi is contemplating another massive tax rebate. From macroeconomic stand point, this doesn’t make sense: the material and commodity prices are already high, indicating a maxed out productivity. The monetary policy is already very loose, if the fiscal policy follows suite, inflation in its most brutal form will sure re-emerge.

Politically, this may be expedient but awefully shortsighted: the economy is going through a painful reajustment period from which a more balanced supply-demand equilibrium should emerge. By interfereing with this process, the congressional follies not only disrupt this self-adjustment process, but also wasting any influence government may have on economy: when the inflation does materialize, what else can the government do? When stagflation does happen, it just sets up the stage for another Reagan-Bush populist demagogue.

本不想再动笔,但”树欲静而风不止”. 翁安事件后, 离发生地不远的贵阳市在其属下的5个区县展开”海选”.

贵阳“海选”县委书记 瓮安事件成“命题焦点”:

“… 贵阳市日前召开公推竞岗动员大会，决定对花溪区、修文县等出缺的4个区、县党委书记职位，采取公推竞岗的方式择优选拔。消息传出后，即刻在全国引起强烈反响。中央电视台新闻频道也罕有地在昨日对竞岗现场在重要时段做了直播。值得注意的是，在本次竞聘答辩中，贵州瓮安“6·28”事件成为“命题焦点”… 贵阳“海选”区、县党委书记消息传出后，即刻在全国引起强烈反响。在百度、google等搜索，其相关网页均分别达到千个以上，人民网、新华网等国内知名网站和媒体也纷纷对该消息进行了转载或报道，引发热议。”

香港明报的标题是”翁安海选以息民愤”. Although the title was inaccurate (Weng An is not part of the Gui Yang municipality), the connection may not be far off. But that is just fascinating!

1. China has had few (none notable enough that I read) semi-free elections (i.e. direct vote and open candidacy) beyond village level. That is something Whiting drilled into our heads. So how significant is this event?

2. The change of procedure comes right after a widely reported riot and amidst widespread cynicism, I don’t know whether this is a sign of weakness/desparation or that of confidence? How much this is used as a ploy to defuse tension, or is this an instance where local reformers/a new generation of leaders are trying to find space to maneuver?

3. Isn’t this an unique opportunity to measure/observe how ready (local) civic culture is to reshape politics? The setting is perfect: something dramatic is happening in the political periphery, like 洋务运动, 公车上书, Deng’s reform, etc. If a participatory and disciplined civil culture is there but dormant under suppression, then this is an opportunity where a new equilibrium (it may take a long while) may form. However, if there is no such a civic culture, the vacuum will be soon re-filled by petty despotism.

What would Elizabeth Perry say?

Tony Snow, the former White House press secretary, was dead. From what I know about him, I can only say, “Good Riddance!” The best 4th of July gift I’ve received so far was the passing of Jesse Helms.  But if Helms was a “bull dog” who still played by the rule, Snow–and others like him–are barking “chiwawas” who try to subvert the rules (see the NYKr article on Addington). Also on the list are Dick Cheney, David Addington and John Yu. I don’t wish them ill but only say this: there are many holidays to come and I can always use some gifts.

Like Joseph Goebbles and 姚文元, they are called “henchmen” by historians or the “Mob” by Arendt. They are so despicable because they serve nothing but power. To them, there is no morality or ethics, no principle or faith. The only thing that consumes their talent and career is the job of defending, justifying, and cheering the powerful and the abusive.

In Chinese, there is a term for them, “刀笔之吏”, or bureaucrats with a knife and a pen. At first, I thought it was a term comparing the power of words. After some digging, it is not. But the meaning stays true.

Here is what I copied from somewhere: 古人用简牍时，如有错讹，即以刀削之，故古时的读书人及政客常常随身带着刀和笔，以便随时修改错误。

(吴曰)《史记》中多有引用，如“萧相国世家”。在太史公写得最生动的“李广列传”中有如下一段：

大将军青亦阴受上诫，以为李广老，数奇，毋令当单于，恐不得所欲。而是时公孙敖新失侯，为中将军从大将军，大将军亦欲使敖与俱当单于，故徙前将军广。广时知之，固自辞于大将军。大将军不听，令长史封书与广之莫府。曰：“急诣部，如书。”广不谢大将军而起行，意甚愠怒而就部，。。。军亡导，或失道，后大将军。大将军与单于接战，单于遁走，弗能得而还。。。青欲上书报天子军曲折。广未对，大将军使长史急责广之幕府对簿。广曰：“诸校尉无罪，乃我自失道。吾今自上簿。”

至莫府，广谓其麾下曰：“广结发与匈奴大小七十余战，今幸从大将军出接单于兵，而大将军又徙广部行回远，而又迷失道，岂非天哉！且广年六十余矣，终不能复对刀笔之吏。”遂引刀自刭。广军士大夫一军皆哭。百姓闻之，知与不知，无老壮，皆为垂涕。

（highlighted之处疑是太史公“小说之笔”）想来太史公虽受酷刑而不辍笔，非曲于淫威或偷生之念，而是因为有“重于泰山”的使命感。同是文墨客的刀笔之吏，却生来有为虎作伥的奴性。李广明明死于卫青和武帝的合谋，却自言不堪“刀笔之吏”，太史公对于刀笔之吏和暴君的关系刻画实在深刻！