Tiananmen Square Incident(1989) - compare to 1984.
The monstrous event that happened on June 4th, 1989 will be forever remembered as one of the most tragic days in human history. However, many decades ago, this event was foreseen and was foretold in the book, 1984, by George Orwell. Orwell saw the rise of totalitarianism, and he was deeply disturbed by what he saw. He believes totalitarianism will be the method that communist party adopts to fight freedom. The book foreshadows many of the events that will happen in a communist society. In many ways, the incident of Tiananmen Square in 1989 echoes 1984, which is a warning that totalitarian government is a power abuser, propaganda manipulator, and democracy suppressor.
Power Abusiveness"The party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested inthe good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power...we know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end" (Orwell 275)1984's view about totalitarianism's power capturing is evidenced in Tiananmen Square incident 1989. These points were shared by both the "Inner Party Members" and the leader of communist party in China. Both of them abuse their power to dominate their citizens.
"Big Brother", a figure of the Inner Party Leader in 1984, is the power. The Party is "seeking absolute power for the sake of power and everything is sacrificed to that end" (Coles 58). Same as the "Big Brother", Chinese leaders abused the power their people give to them. After Deng Xiaoping, a paramount leader of China, reformed Chinese economic policy, however, his policies also stimulated inflation-estimated at 30% annually, causing difficult to live, and resulting vast corruption. Therefore, Chinese students and intellectuals were calling for the further political reforms to facilitate economic reform and make daily life more livable, at the same time, calling greater freedom, more democracy and human
Power Abusiveness"The party seeks power entirely for its own sake. We are not interested inthe good of others; we are interested solely in power. Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness; only power, pure power...we know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. Power is not a means; it is an end" (Orwell 275)1984's view about totalitarianism's power capturing is evidenced in Tiananmen Square incident 1989. These points were shared by both the "Inner Party Members" and the leader of communist party in China. Both of them abuse their power to dominate their citizens.
"Big Brother", a figure of the Inner Party Leader in 1984, is the power. The Party is "seeking absolute power for the sake of power and everything is sacrificed to that end" (Coles 58). Same as the "Big Brother", Chinese leaders abused the power their people give to them. After Deng Xiaoping, a paramount leader of China, reformed Chinese economic policy, however, his policies also stimulated inflation-estimated at 30% annually, causing difficult to live, and resulting vast corruption. Therefore, Chinese students and intellectuals were calling for the further political reforms to facilitate economic reform and make daily life more livable, at the same time, calling greater freedom, more democracy and human
Cited: ideo•Democracy Crushed: Tiananmen Square. 20th century with Mike Wallace. Pro. Christopher Michon. Narr.Paul Enger. CBS. Videocassette.1998Books•Coles editorial Board. Coles Notes: George Orwell 1984.Toronto: Coles Publishing Co.,1998. •Orwell, George. NINETEEN EIGHTY_FOUR. England: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich inc, Penguin, 1987. •Duke, Michael S. Iron House: A Memoir of the Chinese Democracy Movement and the Tiananmen Massacre. Layton: Gibbs.Smith, 1990•Liu, Melinda, et al. Beijing Spring. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 1989. •Salisbury, Harrison. Tiananmen Diary, Thirteen Days in June. Toronto: Little, Brown & Company Limited,1989. Internet•Richelson, Jeffrey, Michael L. Evans. "Tiananmen Square, 1989, the DeclassifiedHistory". GWU. 1 June 1999. National security Archive Electronic Briefing Book. 26 Feb.2007. http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/documents/index.html•Conachy, James. "Ten years since the Tiananmen Square massacre." World Socialist Web Site. 4 June 1999. ICFI. http://www.wsws.org/articles/1999/jun1999/tian-j04.shtml