I grown up in the 60s in U.S., a turbulent time, of Vietnam War and accompanying protests, a rebellious time against stifling conformity of the 50s, sexual liberation and feminism, music of folk songs and rocks, civil right protests and marches, and idealism from far left nihilism to far right Ayn Rand libertarianism. Even Marxism was in vogue for a while. Over the years hippies transformed to Yuppies, and Reagan democrats reigned in politics. In China, Cultural Revolution caused upheavals and accompanying reactions and backlashes. The economic growth in China during the last 35 years were dramatic, lifting more than hundreds of millions if not billion people out of poverty. Yet I worry that whether China will go the path of the West, with the value of Marx and Mao receding back become irrelevant.
I was comforted by Xi’s policy against corruption and purifying the party during the last 3 years. Now I am gladdened that the new generation is picking up the torch and rediscovering Marx as exemplified by this article in guancha.cn, a rap song by name probably a Mongolian minority girl.
《马克思是个九零后》
词：卓丝娜
曲：胡尔琴夫
演唱：香水组合
我对他的第一印象，在政治课
学了他的思想，只是为了及格
本打算过了就算，书再也不念
后来翻开却发现并不讨厌
人生总是充满意外
有一天我看到他的厉害
看到我的信仰别再问why
别再看magazine（杂志）我在看马克思
我出生在1990s，
我就是你的Bruno Mars（布洛诺马尔斯）
但你是我的维纳斯（Venus），
我亲爱的马克思（Marx）
统治者说着乌托邦却不知自由该怎么写
你站出来说无产阶级的力量永远正不畏邪
不为了权不为了钱
但是为了信仰我们一往无前
（前进进 前进进）
Cause we both won’t give up till we die
（到死也不会放弃）
我出生在1990s，
我就是你的Bruno Mars（布洛诺马尔斯）
但你是我的维纳斯（Venus），
我亲爱的马克思（Marx）
统治者说着乌托邦却不知自由该怎么写
你站出来说无产阶级的力量永远正不畏邪
不为了权不为了钱
但是为了信仰我们一往无前
（前进进 前进进）
Cause we both won’t give up till we die
（到死也不会放弃）
为了别人牺牲自己不会容易
总有些人会觉得不可思议
不可思议 不会容易
但世界可能已经ready（准备好）
马克思已经不是 plan B（备用方案）
（Be mine）决定可以当他的小弟
虽然已经有了至少14亿
（You’re gonna listen to me ）（听我说）
共产主义甜如蜜
我出生在1990s，
我就是你的Bruno Mars
但你是我的维纳斯（Venus），
我亲爱的马克思（Marx）
统治者说着乌托邦却不知自由该怎么写
你站出来说无产阶级的力量永远正不畏邪
不为了权不为了钱
但是为了信仰我们一往无前
（前进进 前进进）
Cause we both won’t give up till we die（到死也不会放弃）
九零后（yeah） 从此以后（you know）
we both won’t give up till we die（我们不会放弃到死）
and this song will never die （whoo）（这首歌也永远不会死）
像叶孤舟行在山丘
那样的为真理争斗
像他一样嫉恶如仇
像他一样不屑权谋
像叶孤舟行在山丘
那样的为真理争斗
像他一样嫉恶如仇
像他一样不屑权谋
马克思是个九零后
For those who can’t read Chinese I will try to translate the last stanza here.
Like a lonesome canoe floating between mountain hollow.
Struggling against all for truth.
Like him whom hates all evil.
Like him whom disdain power.
Marx is a 90s youth.
ltlee1 says
The question is will Marxism continue to be popular. If it is not a fad, what could be the underlying causes?
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/533a6374-1fdc-11e3-8861-00144feab7de.html?
“The Central Party School was established in 1933 to indoctrinate cadres in Marxism, Leninism and, later, Mao Zedong Thought, and past headmasters have included Mao himself, recently anointed president Xi Jinping and his predecessor Hu Jintao. …
A more significant change for an institution founded to enforce ideological purity is its relatively new role as an intellectual free-fire zone, where almost nothing is off-limits for discussion. “We just had a seminar with a big group of very influential party members and they were asking us how long we think the party will be in charge and what we have planned for when it collapses,” says one Party School professor who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to foreign media. “To be honest, this is a question that everyone in China is asking but I’m afraid it is very difficult to answer.”
Mister Unknown says
Is there a link to a music video of this?
N.M.Cheung says
@Mister Unknown
I was trying to find the video, the interview was only published 3 days ago, I was searching on Baidu, there were many commentaries, but no video yet.
N.M.Cheung says
@Mister Unknown
It will take a while to know the answer. When I first tried to read Marx, it was heavy going, and it took a while for anyone to integrate the world view. Consider the popularity of Bernie Sanders, and the word “Socialism” no longer is poison in U.S. for those born in the 90s, I think the financial crisis brought on more interests on the critique of Capitalism as the depression did in the 30s.
N.M.Cheung says
@ltlee1
Sorry, I responded in error to Mr. Unknown instead to you.
ltlee1 says
@N.M.Cheung
Marx emphasized the difference between “exchange value” and “use value.” In short, capitalism compresses multidimensional value into a two dimensional “exchange value” measured by “labor-time” which in turn measured by money. Socialism does ressurect intrinsic elements of use-value by introducing the concept of externality. In addition, the concept of human rights were also introduced to preclude capitalism induced bad practices from the outside.
I guess whether Marxism can continue to be popular depends on whether people could find out more dimensions about the labor process which in some sense could be seen as a self improving as well as a community improving process.
ltlee1 says
@N.M.Cheung
Mao’s 后院炼钢 could not be any kind of industrial policy. But Mao’s DIY spirit could propel China forward. Let me borrow two verses from two Mao poems. 中华儿女多奇志，敢叫日月换新天.
A comparison with the rise of the West: Max Weber attributed the rise of capitalism with protestant puritanism because it resolved the debate between salvation by grace and salvation by work. That is, work could lead to grace. More work means more grace.
“There follows the advice that those who gain all they can and save all they can should also give all they can, so that they will grow in grace and lay up a treasure in heaven.” (THE PROTESTANT ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM)
In China, Mao’s DIY spirit would likewise resolve the Neo-Confuciusian debate between “knowing is difficult but doing is easy” （知难行易） and “knowing is easy but doing is difficult” （知易行难）。 The goal is not “inner saint, outer king” but serving the people through innovations.