History with Chinese Characteristics

Junior and senior school students in Shanghai get new textbooks as they start school this fall. So what? you may say. But these new textbooks are different. Writers and education officials have decided that focusing on wars and individuals is an outdated concept—which means that Mao Zedong is mentioned once! That’s right, once! Bureaucrats are looking at Western style learning of history and writing new textbooks that focus on cultures, religions, ideas (not socialism) and science is the most recent step in all-out headlong push to modernize China.What does this mean on the streets? In the short term it means that there is a conscious and dedicated group of influential bureaucrats changing both China’s future and it’s (remembrance of the) past. As one of my professors in college used to say: the Chinese Communist Party doesn’t believe in Socialism any more. The problem for them is getting out but still retaining power. I absolutely agree. The only real ideology in China today is self preservation through financial security.The long term effects of these new history books, if these books are adopted across the country (which is the plan), is that the memory of socialism prior to the addition of “Chinese Characteristics” will die with this next generation—if it hasn’t already. Coca-Cola, Man U, the NBA, Honda/Toyota, an MBA or Ph d. in science and Taiwan rock stars are already as easily as much a part of “Chinese urban culture” to China’s 25 and under population as is Mao. Not to mention making money.But the real test of a successful break with the past is if China can teach its students to forgive Japan.