Good Book Review About The Party: The Secret World Of China's Communist Rulers

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The Party: The Secret World of China’s Communist Rulers authored by Richard McGregor talks about communism in a way which sheds light on the policy as well as enlightens the readers about China’s take on the policy throughout the years. The book is a good insight into the dynamics of the Party’s hold and the various governments that have come into power. The fact that author has spent a considerable amount of time in China means that he has important insight into how the various systems work in China.

Major Thesis(es):

Some of the major views which the author talks about in his book is China’s policy towards communism in a way that it makes the basic essence of it clear to the readers. Apart from this, he also goes on to explain the impact of capitalism and the roots of communism on the economy of China. The most interesting thing however is how the author draws parallels between China with the Soviet Union. Finally and lastly the author questions the dynamics between the party and the social and economic changes that China has gone through over the years.
“The Party is like God. He is everywhere. You just can’t see him.”
This in itself is a very interesting way to start the description of the elaborate dynamics between China and the Communist Party. These words were told to the author by a university professor in Beijing. The author elaborates that these words mean that the Party has had a strong hold over the government of China for a very long period of time. Its control while might not be noticeable is definitely significant. The fact that the Party has a significant amount of control the media, the courts, the armed forces means that every aspect of life in China is under tight scrutiny. The one interesting example that the author gives to prove his point is how the “The People’s Liberation Army” still prefers to answer to the Party rather than the Government. This shows that even though the times are slowly changing now and slowly it seems that the Party’s hold is not that strong over the Government and foreign policies, this is a mere illusion. The true power of the country still resides very much in the hands of the Party.
The intelligent thing that the Party has adapted in the recent years is the tolerance of the private sector and how it allows entrepreneurs to flourish. This allows the Party to have a softer public stance while it still enjoys the power it has always had. This prevents negative sentiments emerging onto the street and has been key in making certain that no other political party is set up in competition.

Thesis(es) Critique:

Communism ideologically is a policy that seems to work. In our heads, we are able to comprehend it as a phenomenon that seems to be very apt. It seems to be a good political system because it seeks to eliminate poverty. Every individual is hoped to be put on the same class scale without any class difference which makes it sound like an ideal situation for the nation. This is what every government ideally plans to accomplish when they come into power. It is the ideal dream of every individual in a country whether they are in among the people or the are the high ranking officials. However, due to the technologically advanced 21st century, this is not anymore a viable option of ruling.
Communism seeks to hold all the important sectors such as the media, foreign policy as well as the general state of affairs under its control which makes it a tricky mode of ruling. It might venture out to eliminate the class system amongst the people; however, the fact that one entity controls everything automatically makes it a class system as well.
In a day and age like the 21st Century’s, this policy cannot work because every individual has access to social media and the various advancements that it brings with it. People’s opinions and their thoughts in this day and age cannot be suppressed by imposition of strict policies. There can be consequences of suppression which not just a country or a nation witness but the whole world might have access to due to the technological advancements. The fact that China’s Party is slowly adapting to changes within its policies is a witness of this. The Party has made most of its policies flexible in order to cater to the various ongoing issues in the country.
The 21st Century is the age of the “Social Revolution” which is why a communist government is not fit to rule in this era. The world is socially connected which makes the access of information very easy. Even if Communism strives to make a hold of power in any country, it is not a suitable option due to the fact that it might not be viewed favorably by the rest of the globe. Policies which might seem suitable for within that nation might not always turn out to be suitable for those who are viewing it from the outside.

Conclusion:

Hence, it is safe to say from the above mentioned discussion that while China’s Party continues to rule with a firm hand, it knows the limitations to which it can seek to have a rigid control. The Party realizes the need for flexibility in its policies while keeping in mind the current 21st Century and the advancements it has brought with it. A model that was once set by Lenin with an iron hand has been adapted by the CCP, in a much more efficient, streamlined way and now is the basis of running the country in a manner more suitable for this day and age.