我们当下的恐惧与期待

就彼岸看，實為一群依舊生活在列強時代與冷戰政治中的老不死幽靈登台，雖不乏對於當今世界政治圖景與文明變局的現實判斷，卻同樣缺乏歷史感，短視而貪婪，根本開出了誤診處方，反將早年裙帶資本權貴的重商主義國策與基於唯我獨尊、掠奪成性的帝國主義式傲慢偏見與粗鄙蠻橫，赤裸裸的訛詐，盡興抖露無遺，展示了一個文明衰敗的疲憊帝國狗急跳牆式的晚期症狀。而自大愛國狂適成禍國害人精，所謂愛國賊，中外古今，史不鮮見。同時，它還說明，如同「壞人變老了」一般，人人都是自己早年教育體系的產物，此後無所用心，了無自省，便難以掙脫羈絆。以舊知識應對新事物，卻又自信爆棚，遂剛愎自用。其理念，其政策，如托克維爾所言，不過是「發霉的舊貨」。JFb免费翻墙网

At this moment, taking stock of the general tenor of discussion in the Chinese-speaking world, and the mindset that it reflects, it is evident that a kind of political awareness based on civilian rationalism has come into maturity; nor is it lacking in proud righteousness. What would appear to be deficient, however, is a cultural self-awareness based on national rationality, in particular people seem to have difficulty identifying National Rationality as it relates to the political relations between nations, and National Rationality in terms of how citizens engage with their own political lives [that is, emotionalism leads people to act against their own, and their country’s self-interest]. The confusion between the two, with neither besting the other, in some cases leads people to admire that Old Red Guard reprobate on the other side of the Pacific. These tyros end up being little better than those rednecks from the Rust Belt. To apply a famous line from a famous person, they are ‘Too Young, Too Simple’ [this is a jocular reference to former Party leader, Jiang Zemin, who once berated a young Hong Kong journalist for their naïveté. Here the Chinese transliteration of ‘too young, too simple’ — tǔ-yàng-tǔ-suī-pɑo 土樣土尿泡 — is a play on Jiang’s Yangzhou-accented English pronunciation. In the original, Jiang added ‘sometimes naïve’]. At the same time, the appeal of [our own] political system is insufficient, resulting in an insufficient or weak sense of identity. The result is a strange contradiction between Citizens and Civic Awareness. But then again, although the ‘Great Qing’ 大清 [dynasty ruled by the Manchus] was enmeshed with ‘China’ 中華, they weren’t really one and the same thing at all.JFb免费翻墙网

You [Communists] ‘Rule the Rivers and Mountains’ [坐江山, a traditional expression that indicates control over the geo-political and civilisational realm of China]; you ‘Gorge Yourselves on the Rivers and Mountains’ [literally, ‘Eat/ consume the Rivers and Mountains’ 吃江山] but, when Your Rivers and Mountains are in trouble [江山有事了], suddenly we’re all expected to pull together and [help you] ‘Protect the Rivers and Mountains’ [保江山] as well as ‘Join as One to Overcome Present Difficulties’ [that have resulted from the trade war]. What utter nonsense! There is discussion in the non-official media that although certain figures are seemingly busying themselves [in negotiations] they are really acting as they though they aren’t Chinese; instead they devote their real energies to coming up with ways to convenience the other side. Oddly enough, this is not all that surprising. After all, this is the kind of scenario you should expect in a nation that lacks a coherent and unifying focus.JFb免费翻墙网

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Moreover, putting aside debates about identity and what ‘Being Chinese’ really means, given the present situation, there are those Prophets who each say their piece and in their proud justifications end up finding no common ground for compromise. Let repeat my previous observation: a nation’s maturity relies on the nurturing authority of its intellectual elite, and for their wisdom to have full sway they require a freedom of spirit. All the red noise and attempts to silence it cannot detract from the realities of shared human ideas. It is necessary to rejecting the misguided folly and pridefulness of any and all Absolute Authorities. In China it is necessary to call for an end to the ever-increasing censorship and to give freedom of expression back to the intelligentsia [讀書人, literally, ‘those who read books’]. For only then, and only with the painstaking work of generations, can the motherlode of Chinese Civilisation be regenerated and nurtured, its role protected and its relevance strengthened. Only then will it be possible to face unfolding possibilities with clear-sightedness, or to be able to respond calmly to immediate challenges so that we can apply ourselves to practical service in the world.JFb免费翻墙网

此時此刻，就中文世界的一般輿議心態與脈絡來看，基於公民理性的政治自覺已然充沛發育，更不缺昂揚正大的道義立場，但少見基於國家理性意識的文明自覺，特別是未能梳理清楚適用於「國家間政治」的國家理性與適用於「國家政治」的公民理性之二元分際，而混戰一團，指東打西，甚至崇拜起彼岸老紅衛兵來，將自己降格到鐵鏽州紅脖子們的水準，套用一句名人名言，可謂「土樣土尿泡」。同時，也是政體感召不足，導致認同缺失或者疲弱，而使國民身份與公民認同兩相悖逆之怪象。畢竟，「大清」與「中華」，雖糾結纏繞，還就真的不是一回事。你們「坐江山」「吃江山」，江山有事了，就讓大家「共克時艱」來「保江山」，這不扯淡嗎！有輿議感慨，一些人說話辦事，彷彿自己不是中國人，而處處倒為對方設計著想，實在是怪而不怪，正為向心力凝聚力這一軟實力不足國族常見的景象矣。再者，撇開究竟何為「中國人」等等認知爭議，置此情形下，可得申言者，兩邊各說各話，越是昂揚正大，越可能將話談死，而無轉圜餘地。凡此再度說明，國族的政治成熟必以其知識精英的心智作育為先導，而心智作育要在精神自由，眾口喧嘩卻又緊扣人生與人心的普世心思，摒拒任何定於一尊的愚妄與傲慢，要求當局不要再鉗口日甚，而把言論自由還給讀書人，從而，在幾代人的接續用功磨礪中，涵養保育中華文明思想母機，護衛其功用，強化其勢能，這才有望清醒觀勢，冷靜應事，而清明用世矣。JFb免费翻墙网

At present, the Authorities repeatedly claim that despite the Trade War they will not change the basic national policy of Reform and the Open Door; they will not slacken their efforts to pursue economic development via continued open-door exchange; and they reaffirm their determination to work collectively to protect the multilateral system. Echoing this stand, a series of related policies have been announced, so there seems to be a measure of certainty. This should be regarded as further evidence of the ‘Open Door [to the outside] Forcing [Further] Reform [on the inside]’. It’s a particularly Chinese kind of developmental path dependence. Yet despite [all the talk], we have yet to see any actual internal reforms. ‘Though the heavens may resound with thunder, only a few drops of rain are falling’; despite all the expressions of sincerity [from the Authorities], the lack of practical results leaves people cold and with no choice but to look on from the sidelines unconvinced.JFb免费翻墙网

目前來看，當局一再重申絕不會因為貿易戰而改變「改革開放」的基本國策，也不會動搖在開放交往中發展經濟的既有路線，並決心協力捍衛多邊體制。與此表態相呼應，並有相應開放措施出台，彷彿尚有定力。其於證明「開放倒逼改革」這一中國式發展路徑依賴的同時，卻又似乎未見任何實質性內政改革，雷聲大雨點小，則不免令人失望，而對其誠意和實效，採取游移觀望態度。JFb免费翻墙网

And so that’s why I have offered here my Eight Immediate Hopes — a series of concrete policy suggestions that I believe to be of timely relevance. Let’s just see what happens. Forget all the pretty talk about You being willing and able to take action. We’d be delighted if you managed to implement just one of the Eight Hopes. If you carry out three or four, we’ll sing your praises and bless you in our hearts. Now, if you manage all eight then the whole of China will rejoice rapturously. Earlier this year, the Supremo said a series of impressive policy measures would be launched to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Reform and Open Door. Well, we’ve already passed the six-month mark and, although we are still wanting to believe, we’re waiting.JFb免费翻墙网

故而，上述八項，允為時務，先做起來再說。都說你能幹肯幹，這八項你只要乾一件，我們就歡喜。你要是幹三、四件，我們就心服口服。你要是全幹了，則普天同慶。年初高官曾經宣示今年還要陸續放大招，以回應「改革開放」四十週年，此刻時間過半，寧信其有，且翹首以待矣。JFb免费翻墙网

And, furthermore, while I’m at it, let me take this opportunity to say: there are only fifty to sixty households in Liangjiahe Village in Shaanxi, and the place only has a population of over a hundred people [where Xi Jinping spent seven supposedly formative years; nowadays as part of the state-manufactured Xi Cult, Liangjiahe is accorded the status of a ‘sacred site’]. But, despite such modest statistics the place boasts a representative office in Shanghai along with an exhibition space for showcasing local agriculture produce. It’s obvious that the unassuming and frugal farmers [of Liangjiahe] didn’t come up with any of this themselves. Rather, one imagines that the whole performance is being stage-managed by a duet of bureaucrats and businessmen, each in hot pursuit of their own ends.JFb免费翻墙网

Then there was a report informing us that the Supreme People’s Procuratorate was creating the 12309 Disciplinary Investigative Service Centre. The Party Secretary of Liangjiahe — a place that has absolutely nothing to do with any of it — was invited to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony [for the centre in late June 2018]. On the day, a scrum of eunuchs was on hand, all to them eager to pursue their own agendas, kissing arse as they flaunted their shamelessness. And, as for the Academy of Social Sciences in Shaanxi announcing that it was pursuing a research project titled ‘The Profound Wisdom of Liangjiahe’ [announced on 21 June 2018 and disbanded on the orders of Beijing in early July], along with all of the research topics devoted to the Personality Cult and Leader Worship, I have this to say: they are antediluvian, they fly in the face of progress and are an affront to credulity; they are grotesque, cringeworthy and much, much more. As for all of this to do: it’s simply too much, too excessive, over the top, as those involved vie to outdo each other. All of these things serve to drag us back to the Dark Ages of fearfulness and deprivation. [觳觫苟存; 觳觫 húsù is used in Mencius to describe the trembling of an ox being led to slaughter; 苟存 gǒucún means ‘living in dire circumstances barely able to survive’.]JFb免费翻墙网

最後，順說一句，陝西省梁家河村四五十戶人家，常駐百十來口，居然在上海設立聯絡處和農副產品展示館，一望可知非淳樸鄉民所能為，毋寧，官商勾結的媚上雙簧，於各懷襟抱中各逞其圖。還有，最高檢開設「12309檢察服務中心」，層峰邀約與此八竿子打不到一塊兒的梁家河村支書共同揭牌，同屬太監姿態，希圖借此創造勾兌機會，拍馬屁不要臉。至於陝西省社科聯的招標項目「梁家河大學問」，以及近年來各類所謂社科項目之造神運動與領袖崇拜，反現代，逆潮流，匪夷所思，恬不知恥，丟人現眼，更不論矣！凡此種種，太作了，太過分了，而過猶不及，只會把我們帶回那個人人觳觫苟存的酷烈人世也！JFb免费翻墙网

That’s all I’ve got to say now. We’ll see what Fate has in store; only Heaven can judge the nation’s fortunes.JFb免费翻墙网

話說完了，生死由命，而興亡在天矣。JFb免费翻墙网

— July 2018