The past week and a half have been very interesting in terms of the
seminar topics we have taken part in. Basically , there has been a
different professor for every lecture depending on their specialty. For
instance, Professor Jin Guangyao taught about the Republican China and the
Rise of the Chinese Communist Party and really went into the different
governance style between Sun Yat-sen and Mao Zedong as well as what they
thought about the West at the time. From Sun Yat-sen to Jiang Jieshi to
Mao Zedong we learned in such depth of the leaders of China. I think what
most interested me on this topic was that Sun Yat-sen's political ideals
were influenced by the U.S. since he studied in Hawaii. When I thought
about early Chinese leaders I did not think about them basing their
republic on America. Jiang Jieshi , who did not speak English and did not
have that academic exposure was not influenced by the United States and in
fact, he wanted to create a totalitarian political system. I wonder if
more exposure to Western culture increases the willingness to have a
democracy.
The same professor gave us a seminar on Mao and the People's Republic and
while I never really understood the CCP, I finally do. It is interesting
how different events are intertwined with this time such as the Agrarian
Revolution and the Korean War. I was most interested in the actual
transition to Socialism. I hope it does not sound like a lecture but
these topics have really been interesting. Basically with the transition
to Socialism , there was a buying-out policy by which 3 billion RMB was
paid as fixed dividends to buy out capitalist enterprises. First, the
Chinese government would take charge of providing raw materials to and
buying products from capitalist enterprises; then, they would invest in
them to convert them to joint state- private enterprises and then the
capitalists would ive up ownswerhip to the state by paying fixed
dividends provided by the state. It is just interesting to see how
government truly got control.
The most interesting part of Professor Jin Guangyao's lecture was during
open discussion when a student asked why people followed the orders of Mao
Zedong so closely and that it seemed like almost a complete dictatorship.
That was the first time "the ice broke" because I think we were hesistant
to ask questions that we REALLY wanted to ask. His answer, interestingly
enough, was at the time of the Cultural Revolution in China, which took
place from 1966-1976, he was in middle school. At this time Mao Zedong
actually had sent all students in middle school to rural areas to be farm
workers or do needed rural things. Later, depending on your political
behavior and loyalty to the party, you were accepted to schools, and if
you werent, it was harder for you to get into schools. To me, that
basically meant keep opposing parties inferior by not educating them.
Those with bright minds are usually the biggest threats. Professor
Guangyao said he did not mind moving away from his family and not going to
school because Mao Zedong was a hero for those who supported him (
especially the youth) so no matter what he said to do, they would have
done it. Overall, I LOVED hearing his eyewitness encounters. It isn't
like reading about China in a political science class at SUNY ALBANY or
any U.S. college for that matter,and watching videos about first hand
accounts. Every single subject being taught is a first hand encounter or
experience by the Professor. I absolutely love it! Off to get street
food, all the learning is tiring ! Zaijian!
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Posted By: Alicia Tambe, Shanghai, China
