Cultural Revolution in China

Cultural Revolution in China The Cultural Revolution left an imprint on China for Decades and really shaped and influenced all political things that took place in China and also to an extent left a large direct effect on China itself and a lasting legacy that resonated in mainland China and outside China that influenced many different things. This will be proven by first going through what exactly is the Cultural Revolution, because it is important to look at what the Cultural Revolution actually is. This will lead into the next part of having a look at the direct impact of the Cultural Revolution on China. Following that this essay will move onto looking at the exact legacy the Cultural Revolution has left on China by breaking it down into individual parts. The Cultural Revolution or as it is known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution (Clark, 2008) was a socio political event that began in the Peoples Republic of China in 1966 and ran for ten years until 1976. The Revolution was set into motion by Mao Zedong, the leader of China and the head of the Communist Party based in China. The set goal of the revolution was the reinforcement of Chinese Communism by removing all capitalist, traditional and cultural elements from the Chinese society and enforcing Maoist orthodoxy within the Communist Party. The Revolution was officially launched in May 1966 after Mao had alleged that wealthy elements in Chinese Society were infiltrating the Chinese Government and Society with the aim of restoring capitalism. He insisted that these elements be completely removed though a violent class struggle. In response to his calls, Chinese youth formed Red Guard groups around the country and began their campaign. Mao in support of this ordered the party and the army not to interfere. The movement though spread into all aspects of Chinese culture, politics and military. This resulted in wide spread factional struggles in all aspects of Chinese life. It resulted in the near decimation of the Chinese Communist Party leadership to such an extent that only four of the seventeen members of the 1956 Politburo survived to the Ninth Congress in April 1969 Mao himself, his acolyte Lin Biao, Zhou Enlai and Li Xiannian all the rest been either imprisoned or killed. Additionally millions of people were arrested in these violent factional struggles that took place across the country. These people were subject to a wide arrange of abuses including public humiliation, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, sustained harassment, and seizure of property. (Johnston, 2010) As well as this a large portion of the public were forcibly displaced, most noticeable was the transfer of pretty much all urban youth in the final stages of the Cultural Revolution to the rural regions during the Down to the Countryside Movement, to learn from the peasants. On top of this sticking to the gaol of wiping out all traditional Chinese Culture numerous historical relics, artefacts were destroyed and Cultural and religious sites were either ransacked or destroyed. While Mao declared the Revolution over in 1969, its active phase lasted until 1976. From 1969 to 1976 there was a gradual return to normalcy as China really began to take the right course after realising the damage the Cultural Revolution had caused. Following Maos death and the arrest of the gang of four in 1976, reformers led by Deng Xiaoping gained power and by 1978 most of the Maoist reforms that were associated with the Cultural Revolution had being abandoned and any mention or evidence of the Cultural Revolution been highly censored and hidden from the public. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution it has been treated widely as a negative phenomenon that damaged China for decades afterwards. Essentially the Cultural Revolution directly impacted all of Chinas population in one form or another. During the Revolution, all economic activity in any form was virtually halted, with the revolution been the primary objective of the country. At the beginning of the Cultural revolution large numbers of red guards were brought to Beijing with all expenses paid by the government, these large numbers resulted in the railway system been thrown into turmoil. As per the Revolutions goals countless ancient Chinese buildings, antiques, artefacts, books and paintings were destroyed by the Red Guards. In addition to the economic damage, the ten years of the Cultural Revolution brought the Chinese education system to a virtual standstill. University entrance exams were abolished in the early stages of the revolution and not restabilised until 1977 under Deng Xiaoping. Most intellectuals were viewed as a threat to the revolution and were sent to rural labour camps and many of those who survive d left China shortly after the revolution ended. Many survivors and independent observers suggest that almost anyone with skills over that of the average person was made the target of political struggle in some way. (Dirlik, 1993) In the view of Western observers from the US and followers of Deng Xiaoping, the revolution resulted in almost an entire generation of Chinese people being inadequately educated. An example of this is when measurements of literacy resumed in the 1980s.When they did resume it painted a bleak picture of the impact the revolution had on Chinas education system, Some counties in Zhanjiang had illiteracy rates as high as 41% some 20 years after the revolutionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦This effect may have been less if not for the by the elimination of qualified teachers (Johnston, 2010) Which forced many of the districts to rely solely upon chosen students to re-educate the next generation. Overall the direct impact of the Cultural Revolution was that basically everything economic stopped and there was a total breakdown of almost everything and China pretty much lost all of the intelligent workforce which meant they had no high level educated workers like doctors, teachers etc. The first legacy the Cultural Revolution left on China was on the Chinese communist party itself. To try and make sense of Maos leadership of the Cultural Revolution while limiting any damage to the party and their legitimacy to remain in power, the successors that followed Mao needed to really give a historical judgement that worked in Maos and the communist parties favour. On June 27th 1981, the central committee released the Resolution on Certain Questions in the History of Our Party since the Founding of the Peoples Republic of China, an official assessment of major historical events since 1949. (Myers, 1995) This Resolution while noting Maos leadership in the Revolution, stated that the chief responsibility for the grave Left error of the Cultural Revolution, an error comprehensive in magnitude and protracted in duration, lies with Comrade Mao Zedong (Myers, 1995). It lessened the blame on him by asserting that the revolution was manipulated by the counterrevolutionary groups of both Lin Biao and Jiang Qing, who both caused worst problems and Mao never played a direct part in any of this (Myers, 1995). This official view was primarily aimed at separating Maos actions during the Cultural Revolution from his activities during the Chinese Civil War. This was quite nicely summed up by Deng Xiaoping when he stated that Mao was 70% good, 30% bad (Kilfi, 1999)This has resulted in Mainland China, the history of this time been based solely on the Party line which manages to not solely blame Mao for any of the problems that occurred during this time. As if any of the blame for the Cultural Revolution was placed solely at the feet on Mao, it would cause questions to be asked about the Communist Partys legitimacy to power. The next legacy it has left on China is impacting on Contemporary China itself this legacy on Contemporary China is linked to the legacy left on the Communist party to an extent that the party line on what happened during the Cultural Revolution has spread into contemporary China. The legacy has been left to such an impact that the revolution itself has been actively covered up and any mention of it has been removed. Any sort of Public discussion on the Cultural Revolution in public is strictly limited in China. To this day the Chinese government continues to block news organisations from mentioning any details from the Cultural Revolution, and any sort of online discussions and books about the revolution are subject to high levels of scrutiny. Education materials on the Revolution continue to abide by the official view of the events, blocking younger people from learning the truth about the revolution. Almost all of the government documents from the time of the Cultural Revolution r emain classified and are not open to the public or inspection by independent academics. At the national museum of China in Beijing, the Cultural Revolution is not mentioned much at all in any of its historical exhibits. The reason the government really actively tries to remove the Cultural revolution from Chinese history is the it still considers itself at least in one part or another an inheritor of its legacy . Which really means that the government is worried that continued academic probing and popular widespread discussions will eventually lead ideological conflict and increase social instability and it may threaten the foundations of Communist rule. (Johnston, 2010) This has led to the maintenance of Political and Social Stability been the highest priory of the Chinese government since the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, this includes the securing of the Communist party as well. This has led the government to really adopt the line that it has no interest in re-evaluating any issue that might lead to a split in the Chinese leadership, or which might polarize the Party on ideological grounds. (Slavicek, 2010) Overall the Legacy of the Cultural Revolution on contemporary China is that the government basically fears any knowledge of the revolution in todays world may once again stir up trouble for the Communist Party Outside of mainland China it has left a legacy of inspiring events in Hong Kong, Taiwan and other places around the world. In Hong Kong an anti-colonial pro-communist strike was launched was launched in 1967, which was directly inspired by the Cultural Revolution. In Taiwan a Chinese Cultural Renaissance was launched to counter what was considered to be a destruction of traditional Chinese values by the Communists on the mainland. Worldwide, Mao as a response of the Cultural Revolution emerged as a symbol of the anti-establishment, grassroots populism, and self-determination. His revolutionary philosophies found adherents in the Shining Path of Peru, the U.S.-based Black Panther Party (Slavicek, 2010) In Modern times, matters surrounding the Cultural Revolution raised again in 2007, when the Hong Kong Chief Executive remarked that the Cultural Revolution represented the dangers of democracy, remarking People can go to the extreme like what we saw during the Cultural Revolution [], wh en people take everything into their own hands, then you cannot govern the place (Johnston, 2010) The evidence is there that the Cultural Revolution has of course left a legacy on Chinas Special territories and has spread to the rest of the world as well in one aspect or another and acts as a symbol of anti-establishment around the world Concluding the Cultural Revolution even though it happened decades ago has and will continue to leave a legacy and will continue to impact China and influence events around the world. It has also made in a way the Chinese worried of fully integrating modern democracy into Chinas political system as it would cause them to come clean about the Cultural Revolution and damage Communist rule

The darkness of man’s heart in “Lord of the Flies” Essay

To â€Å"explore the darkness of man’s heart† is one of the key themes in William Golding’s novel Lord of the flies. As the boys on the island regress from well-behaved, well-mannered children aching for rescue to cruel, bloodthirsty hunters who have no desire to return to civilization, the boys naturally lose their sense of innocence that they possessed at the beginning of the novel. This novel is about young English boys Marooned on an uninhabited island, with no adult supervision, forcing them to create their own â€Å"civilization†. Three key ideas of darkness of mans heart are loss of innocence, characters and symbolism. Golding also suggests that every person has the evil within them and often it takes a special event to these things to materialize Paragraph 1- Loss of innocence Golding highlights darkness of mans heart by showing the boy’s loss of innocence. One of the key quotes to describe â€Å"Darkness of mans heart† is â€Å"Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy†. This quote is at the end of the novel where the boys encounter the Naval officer, who appears out of nowhere to rescue them. When ralph sees the officer he realizes that he is now safe and will be returned to â€Å"actual civilization†. Ralph understands he has lost his innocence and learned about the evil that loiters within all human beings. In the Novel Golding does not expose this loss of innocence as something the children have done but he implies that the loss of innocence comes naturally. It is ironic how the boys become evil savage and cruel to each other creating a war just like the one they have fled from. Agnolishes Paragraph 2- Characters Golding explores the darkness of mans heart by showing the good of young English boys then he shows how â€Å"how every person has a dark side†. The boys naturally lose the sense of innocence that they possessed at the beginning of the novel. Ralph, the novels protagonist, is a 12-year-old boy who is elected leader on the island. Ralph tries to create a civilization though- the boys are not co-operating and tension rises. Ralph loses his belief in the innocence of humanity, because he himself does not commit any immoral act, from memory. Whereas Ralph and Jack stand at different ends of the â€Å"battlefield† between civilization and savagery. Paragraph 3- Symbolism Darkness of mans heart can be interpreted in the novel by using symbolism. â€Å"Lord of the flies† is the bloody, severed sow’s head that jack spears in the forest glade as an offering to the beast. This symbol becomes the most significant image in the novel when Simon confronts the sow’s head in the glade and it speaks to him. Telling him that the evil lies within every human heart. Lord of the Flies biblical meaning is named â€Å"Beelzebub, a powerful sometimes thought to be the devil himself. Golding uses Piggy’s violent death symbolically to represent an end to civilization and order on the island. Roger, the symbol of evil, releases the giant boulder that smashes the conch and kills Piggy his death is incredibly symbolic, especially in the way he dies being smashed by a boulder is not only an extremely violent way to die, but it is also senseless and meaningless. The moment is a snapshot for the most important theme of the novel Darkness of mans he art and savagery. Conclusion: William Golding novel has successful portrayed the darkness of mans heart through these key points, Loss of innocence

Cunard Line, Ltd Essay

Cunard Line Ltd. is a cruise line that represents luxury and class providing four to five star cruise ship options. Their overall target market is mature adults with mid to very high income-levels. A lot of the marketing efforts put forth by Cunard were going towards tactical efforts and the promotion of individual ships as opposed to the promotion of the entire brand. Although most of the ads portrayed the same look and had an individually tailored paragraph and/or photo. Set backs caused by the worldwide recession as well as the Iraq War has caused Cunard the dilemma of risking their prestigious company image to provide consumers with larger discounts or develop other marketing strategies that will seek to maintain their 90% occupancy rate without lowering their high quality position. It created more pressure for the creation of â€Å"sales oriented† marketing, which would jeopardize their high-class image. With competitors such as Carnival who are able to provide large discounts, it makes it difficult for Cunard to avoid using the same approach in order to compete. Segmentation Strategy Cunard seems to have taken a Concentrated Marketing approach to segmentation. Generally, they focus on one target market – the upper class. Although this can be seen as a disadvantage in an economy experiencing a recession, by segmenting based on this niche income and lifestyle, Cunard is able to tailor their services specifically to them rather than targeting more than one market and not providing the best service possible. Not only do their advertisements and brand perception demonstrate this segmentation but they make efforts to communicate personally with their clients. This is demonstrated through through letters that they send with personalized marketing messages, tailored specifically to the needs of their customers. Price/Quality Relationship The concept of price/quality relationship is heavily integrated into the target market that Cunard has chosen. Along with their brand image, the high price of their services gives off a perceived high quality. Although services are generally intangible, services such as providing reservations for an entire mealtime in their five-star cruise ship is merely one example of how Cunard tries to maintain this price/quality relationship. With the price that consumers pay, they come to expect the best service for their dollar. Generally those who pay these high amounts believe that money is no object as long as they receive a great quality product or service. Satisfaction would mean that they reached or exceeded the expectations consumers had of the service. Cunard tries not to portray prices in their advertising or have constantly advertised sales in order to keep the price/quality relationship high and retain customers who respect this aspect of their company. Alternative Strategies There are multiple strategies that Cunard may take in order to maintain their high-class brand image while bringing in enough consumers from their target market. One of these alternatives is to create relationships with big companies and provide them with a vacation package deal. An example of this is creating a relationship with a large insurance company who is then able to create a contest for self-employed insurance advisors. As self-employed individuals they have the potential of gaining high incomes and through a contest they will be motivated to meet certain productivity requirements. Only those who qualify will be able to go on the trip and will therefore meet the high standards of the Cunard brand. This method would probably be more effective for the four star ships who cater less to those at or near the retired age and target a little bit of a lower income than the five star ships. Another alternative strategy would be to create a loyalty program for existing Cunard customers. This method can be used for customers of the four or five star ships. This loyalty program would provide occasional direct offers to customers who already have experience with Cunard and therefore will not view the deals as a lowering of standards. An example of a deal that can be provided is a selling package that is good for a year or two. This package would outline a discounted price for a set amount of people to travel on a certain cruise ship. That way, there is enough time for a customer to realistically plan out a trip while providing an incentive for them and encourage more action as opposed to a regular priced ad. Lastly, an alternative that can be taken is to build relationships with various large companies with employees who make an income in the target range and make offers to company executives. This method would not downplay the company image because Cunard would be communicating directly with high-income executives and furthermore will not be making any public sales or advertisements. This method would create new potential customers who are directly in the target market of choice using the method of relationship building. This may also result in additional customer retention. This method can be used for both the four and five star ships. In order to attract the target market of the five star ships, Cunard can make an arrangement with a company to offer a deal with their luxury ships as part of a retirement plan. Recommendations As a general recommendation, Cunard should focus on brand loyalty and relationships. Marketing efforts should go towards the advertising of the overall brand rather than individual ships while the rest of the company’s efforts should go towards relationship building. These relationships will then in turn target certain customers to certain ships through Cunard’s arrangements with companies. Considering the situation regarding the recession and war, Cunard should focus heavily on the strategy of building relationships with companies who can create vacation contest packages for their employees. During the time of a recession, anyone would appreciate an incentive to make more money and the opportunity to gain something from it. By winning something so prestigious, consumers gain confidence as well as social benefits, which can initially be their motivation. If it is a large company, there is potential for many qualifiers who can turn into loyal customers whether it be through the continuation of the contest yearly, or by their own personal desire to continue their relationship with Cunard. These contests will not jeopardize the high-quality image of the company because through negotiation, Cunard can insure that the qualification requirements are at a level where when achieved, it will be viewed as prestigious. If this contest continues yearly, Cunard can maintain their customer value, satisfaction and trust and therefore have customer retention. This will result in less price sensitivity, positive word of mouth, returning customers and a long lasting relationship. If Cunard continues to use marketing to market their entire company while bringing their services directly to their desired market, they can ensure a 90% occupancy and the continuation of a high-class cruise ship operation.

Terrorism and the United States Essay - 1250 Words

Terrorism and the United States A cloud of anthrax spores looming in the sky of San Diego California designed to inflict a horrible death within ninety-six hours on anyone who breaths it. At first, thousands of victims think they have mild influenza or a cold that recedes after a day or two. However, when their symptoms return, and their lungs starts filling-up with fluid the victim realize that another terrorist attack has occurred. Hundreds of victims have acute psychosomatic pain. They besiege over crowded hospitals demanding treatment. Local hospitals and medical clinics quickly run out of drugs. Law enforcement and military†¦show more content†¦Because it is so hard to define, organizations like the United Nations have had great difficulty drawing up policies against terrorism. Terrorist actions may be committed by a single individual, a certain group, or even governments. Most terrorists, u nlike criminals, claim to be dedicated to higher causes, and do not believe in personal gain. The methods used in terrorism include threats, bombings, and the destruction of property, kidnapping, and the taking of hostages, executions, and assassinations. As we are approaching the new millennium, it seems that terrorism is becoming another one of societys constant problems. It has reached to an extent that most of us have now become immune to it. We hear about the hijacking of different airplanes, kidnapping of diplomatic officers, slaughter of innocent civilians. However, terrorists in most instances first strike by doing something vicious like bombing an area and bio-chemical attacks which the government and the citizens of the country can be terrified of them. Then, they make their demands: safe passage or release of their fellow terrorists. What can the government do to stop terrorism? Mr. Bush and America do not negotiate with Terrorist. 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