Reading 10/8

In the 1950s, China formed an alliance with the Soviet government. China adopted a Soviet model into their Communist government. They did land distribution and collectivization. The Great leap forward ended in disaster. The alliance faded and Xiaoping eventually came into power. He suggested having “socialism with Chinese characteristics” which allowed a market economy with …

Continued Discussion from 10/8 Class

I think that the situation that occurred in The Bridegroom’s “Saboteur” would be handled very differently in the US. I believe that while we do have corrupt police officers and we by no means have the perfect system, most police officers in the US seem to hold themselves to a higher standard than the two …

Distinguishing Credulity from Credibility

Something I’ve been working on throughout our engagement with Ha Jin’s “The Bridegroom” is attempting to separate the author’s view of citizenship and life in China from what in reality goes on there. I find myself necessarily aware of sentiment that flatters Americans’ sense of freedom and independence, which, when spurred by contrast against a …

Chinese Man arrested for burning flag

A man in China posed for an internet photo with a small Chinese national flag in one hand and a lighter in the other. In addition, up to seven other people have been arrested for similar offenses. Along with several people burning flags, a man from Hangzhou was arrested for ripping a flag down and …

Political Influence on the Chinese Legal System

After reading “Saboteur” and “A Bad Joke” I thought that these stories only described situations in the 1960s and 1970s so I decided to research the current role of the Chinese government in the legal system and I was shocked to find that both stories represent the current situation. I learned about the liuzhi system …