China’s leader Xi Jinping has told artists and writers to “serve socialism” and avoid the “vulgar” and “stereotyped” dross common in the West. Be “patriotic” and don’t let your work be contaminated by the “stench of money”, he says. The media and social networks are full of fawning praise for his wisdom. This is not new. Ever since Mao bent literature and the arts to the needs of communist propaganda, all published works have endured rigid censorship: those who refuse to “chirp about a golden age of China” can get themselves banned or arrested. So stand by for a deluge of bannings, not to mention directives telling publishers and filmmakers what to do. Already writers and artists are being sent into the countryside to learn from the masses a “correct” view of art. (edited version of an article by Murong Xuecun)
A lot of Western culture is indeed “vulgar”, violent and stereotyped, tasteless stuff put out only for money. But you are not made to watch it or listen to it; it’s entirely up to you. If the public disliked pornography posing as “art” then presumably it would fade away. So banning it doesn’t “serve socialism” – it serves Mr.Xi’s overwhelming need to control everyone and everything in sight. With the economy in chaos, the population beginning to doubt the judgement of the Party, and rumbling in the party about the anti- corruption drive, could Xi’s position itself look in some doubt? He is about as un-Epicurean as you can get.
Comment
In my home town there is a manswear shop. Working there is an exile from Sinkiang province, a Yghur. I got talking to him, and he told me that the Communist Party suppression of the the Uyghur is getting worse all the time, and that we are given few details of the violence in the West. China is in the midst of an ugly, nationalistic and repressive period that is very dangerous. Sending warships to Alaska looks like an age-old move to take attention off domestic unrest. It’s hard to see how you can have a pleadant life in China.
While its true that China’s economy has been growing very fast, this has not necessarily resulted in a corresponding proportionate increase in quality of life. Its undeniably good that most Chinese no longer live in grinding rural poverty, urban life isn’t much of a paradise either. People are overworked, often unpaid, and inflation is very high. A good solution would be to divert resources away from sheer growth and investment- which can often be environmentally damaging- and towards allowing people to work less, lowering inflation, improving the environment, and building a much-needed welfare state. This may result in a slower-growing economy, but the quality of the growth would be higher, and people would be happier.