The BBC reports that Bo Xilai, the man in charge of Chongqing, China, is prosecuting corrupt government officials in his province. Recently, a top justice official in the city was executed for corruption and many in his family went to jail.
In 2012 – Changing the Guard, I wrote about Bo Xilai and his crusade against crime and corruption, which has made him popular with the people.
To understand why Bo Xilai is popular, focus on the real reason workers started the Tiananmen Square protests. The workers who started the protest were concerned about crime and corruption.
The students, who have been given credit for a democracy movement, did not start the protest—they hijacked it.
The BBC said, “This (crime and corruption) worries China’s leaders, who are seriously concerned that public anger at levels of corruption is undermining support for the Communist Party.”
Considering the size of China, its population and the complexity of its multi-ethnic culture, this is a large challenge for China’s leaders.
Corruption also brought down the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911). In fact, the major cause of the collapse of most of China’s Dynasties is linked to corruption and moral decay.
Also, when the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643) collapsed, the last emperor hung himself because he had not done his job properly.
Why can’t we send the Bernie Madoffs of America to China?
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Lloyd Lofthouse is the award-winning author of the concubine saga, My Splendid Concubine & Our Hart. When you love a Chinese woman, you marry her family and culture too.
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