American conservatives aren't the only ones who don't like those 'know-it-all' intellectuals. So does the regime of Communist China, according to this piece in The Boston Globe.
Late last month, reports began to surface on foreign newswires that hard-liners in the Chinese government had banned public discussion of thinkers and scholars guilty of taking "arrogant" (read: independent) positions on political and social affairs. In mid-November, Beijing's Publicity Department, which is responsible for "ideological control," issued an order to prohibit state-run newspapers, magazines, and TV stations from creating lists of such persons.
Independent thought is always seen as threatening by regimes who are contemptous of the public. The Communist Chinese government thinks it knows it all and thus doesn't feel the need to be accountable to the public. It brokers no questioning of its decisions. Looking back to analyze the success or failure of policies is seen as unnecessary and possibly treasonous. It places a high value on secrecy and loyalty which are linked to the ultimate instrument: CONTROL. The idea of constructive criticism is seen as a contradiction in terms. That's why such regimes are always miserable failures, at least in the long term.
The Bush administration also conducts itself in this way. I disagree with many of its ideas, but my biggest objection is their secretive decision making processes. They seem to make the facts fit their pre-conceived notions rather than letting the facts drive the conclusions. Their propositions are less like policies and more like fiats.
Intellectuals have long been a thorn in the side of wanna-be authoritarian regimes. Left wing intellectuals were a major player in bringing down communism in Czechoslovakia. African intellectuals led the fight for de-colonization. Serbian intellectuals lead the internal resistance to Milosevic, demonstrating once again that real social change can only come from within, not imposed from abroad. Even America's own revolution was hardly led by slaves and peasants.
No wonder the Chinese government is running scared.
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