Zhang Aihua, a Communist party leader in Taizhou City, appears not to have gotten the memo from Mao that “Thrift should be the guiding principle in our government expenditure.” Or, for that matter, the memos from the Chinese government about cracking down on excesses by local leaders. Zhang was enjoying a dinner fit for a worker-oppressing capitalist when suddenly the working class showed up uninvited. Worse yet, they brought cameras. Zhang was soon on a table, shown here, begging the common folk to let him go and apologizing for his excesses.
When the Chinese proletariat showed up Zhang was having a private party with tables stacked with rare Yangtze river fish like poisonous pufferfish, long-tailed anchovy and largehead hairtail as well as imported wine.
As the peasants stormed the banquet hall, Zhang was left looking like a Communist version of Marie Antoinette. He grabbed a bullhorn and began an immediate confession that seemed right out of a reeducation camp from the Cultural Revolution: “I was wrong tonight. Please forgive me. I’ll do anything if you let me go,” he pleaded, according to state media.
What is fascinating is that, while the Chinese still crackdown on independent journalists, they appear to be tolerating such citizen reporters with their cellphone . . . at least when it comes to showing violations of President Xi Jinping’s frugality and anti-corruption drive. It also shows the continuing power of China’s blog and social media sites — though the government continues to crackdown on these sites to impose government control.
As for Zhang, he may now find it easier to practice Mao’s lesson that “the principle of diligence and frugality should be observed in everything.” He was fired this week.
Source: Guardian
Well done Dredd, a lot of people here (in the US) are living a very precarious existence. Not to worry though, Congress is working to alleviate that. The voted to build in more latitude to the method of sequestration for the FAA so that lines at airports wouldn’t be as long or the actual effect of sequestration wouldn’t actually be felt by ‘relevant’ citizens. Meanwhile the effects to marginalized citizens roll on. As well, when the sequester was voted on the bill built in that the terms that a Reagan era law on funding be built in, which means the Congressional salaries will not be touched. They had the foresight to exempt themselves. I guess if they took a pay cut the House would have to go from a 3 day work week to a 2 day work week. But thank goodness there’s no chance of them becoming part of the precariat.
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/291303-why-members-of-congress-are-exempt-from-the-sequester
That is not a communist system. It it was he could only eat at the commune.
malisha:
no, Dredd means as in precarious. It was actually quite a good play on words in light of the current economic situation.
Precariat? Would that be the same as a pre-carry-out?
If he got the foods from a Chinese take-out place and ate at home would he have been OK?
Watsamatta no General Tsao’s chicken? Society has to evolve.
China is more capatalistic than the United States, it has less regulations.
How about a story on how Connecticut Justice is enslaving black men???
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Hey Zhang – FUGU!
With body lice from not bathing. A pinko Howard Hughes.
Yeah Mike, Mao was full of crap, but he did wear a neat hat.
When I think back to the crap that my Maoist acquaintances spouted in the 60’s and I see that China today has become a Fascist, Corporate state, I realize how full of crap Mao was. Just another sociopath seeking power and promising that which would never be delivered.
We don’t have a proletariat here, we have a precariat. I can’t imagine something like that happening in western civ.
AY, LOL! Let’s face it folks, there are no substantive difference between Communist pols and republic pols. They all are royalty to varying degrees. They just dress differently.
China has not been a communist country since shortly after Mao died. It is an oligarchy just like the US is becoming. In CHina the government sees to it that its friends and family get the inside track, all the perks and all the power. In the US its working the other way around, the oligarchs are making sure all their friends get into government and control that to maintain all of the oligarchs perks and power. The difference between the two is lessening every day
Seems to me we should be following congress and our elected officials around to catch them spending lavishly and taking money for favors from various special interest groups like moveon.org and GE.
of course he would have continued the luxurious dinners as long as he was never caught in the act. Begging for forgiveness, CYA is what is happening.
Was the Donald on the Board….. Yourrrrrrrreeee Firrrred….