Let it snow

Beijing welcomed the first major now of the year. The picture shows a soldier standing still on his post on the Tian'anmen Square.

While many admired his tense and strong posture, for some it is a mere reminder of the People's Library Army's role in the Tian'anmen Square Massacre on June 4th in 1989. The tough soldier is not guarding the people, nor the nation. He is guarding the communist party.

Striking visible is the fire extinguisher, which had been a standard issue for guards of key positions. So many people set themselves to fire to protest the injustice they suffered, and Tian'anmen Square had became a top choice because of the constant media attention it entitles.

There would not be a fire extinguisher ready in places less visible to media scrutiny. As a matter of fact, local officials often order killing or sometimes public execution to 'show an example' to the people. In Zhengzhou of Henan Province, TV aired a video showing officials ordered a bulldozer to run over residents protesting a demolish project (which later showed as illegal). When one resident was run over, the police blocked other residents to save the woman, until her death hours later. In Fuzhou of Jiangxi Province, another illegal demolishing operation sponsored by the local government, Family of Zhong was determined to protect their house with their lives. When the government's bulldozers came, they set themselves on fire. Again the officials on the scene ordered no one should rescue them, and many cameras (some belong to varied government agencies involved, many from other residents living nearby) recorded two people burning, jumping, rolling in pain, until they could not move and how police blocked other residents who tried to come close to help. The 50 years old mother died at the scene. Her 30 years old daughter was badly burned.

In the Fuzhou Zhong family case, one remaining family member was able to get away from police detention (she was charged of obstructing police operation when she tried to put off fire on her mother and sister), and barracked herself in a restroom when the police finally caught up with her in an airport. She was planning to go to Tian'anmen Square to set herself to fire to protest. She was able to send a few micro-blogs (Twits), and thanks to online community, numerous persons acted immediately and probably including some with connections to power, she was promised an investigation from higher-up.

The investigation confirmed the wrongdoings of the local officials. Two commending officers of the Yihuang County, County Party Boss Qiu Jianguo and County Mayor Su Jianguo, were removed from their posts in September 2010 in a high profile manner. The Central Government once again stated no violence should be used in evictions and demolitions.

Last week, Xinhua news reported the two officials were all assigned to new (higher) posts. Qiu Jianguo was promoted to the Director of Development of Fuzhou Prefecture, Su Jianguo was promoted to Director of Public Transportation.

In Searching for Legitimacy

It appears the Communists Party of China is lost in its searching for ruling legitimacy.

Evidently, the 'Communists' roots was deemed inappropriate. The 45 anniversary of Mao's death was passed without a single word of mentioning in any state controlled media. Actually, any attempt that may reference to the Mao's past has been cracked down as brutally, as in the case of any democratic movement.

Last year, a statue of Confucius was quietly erected in the Tian'anmen Square. While the nation, mostly those in alignment with the Party cheering for the gesture to recognize the saint 2500 years old, the statue was removed quietly in one ordinary night.

The CCP stunted the nation again, when in an unprecedented memorial gathering of the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, attended by every top level officials in Beijing, President Hu Jintao personally announced the CCP was 'the most loyal beneficiary' of Dr. Sun Yet-sen. Five days later, Sun's humongous portrait was removed from the Tian'aanmen Square on the day of the 100th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution.

The issue, probably, is that every possible candidates who potentially qualify as a spiritual legacy that the Party can hang on must also have emphasized moral and value that run into conflicts with the Party's practice.

From Tian'anmen Square to Green Square

Career Revolution Leader Colonel Gaddafi talked to western media after his security forces killed hundreds of civil protesters in Libya with guns, artilleries, missiles and air bombing. The old colonel exclaimed he was following the great example of great communist leaders in China, who's tanks rolled over students protesting in Tian'anmen Square in 1989. Gaddafi was so excited, that he mentioned the Tian'anmen twice during the interview. He argued the Tian'anmen massacre united China, and determined to follow the suit if necessary. The Tian'anmen reference did not seem to be convincing enough, that the UN's security council passed a resolution to send officials who slaughter its own citizens to criminal investigation by the international court.

Well, actually, the Chinese government had always looking west for legal shield.

In the history of the United States, more than one time had the government used military forces against its own citizen.

1921, in response to coal mine workers' demand for union, President Harding sent in Army General Billy Mitchell, the father of the USAF. Miners were crushed by a combination of mine operator's private army and the US federal military forces. The would be recorded in the history when the federal air force planes were used against US citizens.

Years into the Greet Depression in 1932, World War I veterans, unemployed and hungry, petitioned in Washington, D.C. along their wifes and children for a principle payment of their bonus due in 1945. President Hoover sent active duty army in response. Commanded by General Douglas MacArthur and Major General George Pattern, the 12th Infantry and the 3rd Cavalry rolled over the protesters with support of six battle tanks.

And there was the Kent State University's shootings in 1970 at students protesting the unpopular war on campus. Four students killed by US National Guard.

From Air Force, Tanks, to Assault Rifles, the US went a long way of using more benign weapons upon its own citizens in a duration of 50 years. No wonder, regimes around the world had plenty to cite in covering their own brutalities against citizens.