Bo Knows Purges

[The Minsky Moment]

Bo Xilai, who could plausibly be argued to be the single most dangerous man in the world, appears to be done for good.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/16/world/asia/florcruz-xilai-china/index.html

[Eddie Teach]

who could plausibly be argued to be the single most dangerous man in the world,

How so? Something to do with "singing red"?

[Valmy]

Yeah I did not get what he is the 'most dangerous man in the world' (stay deadly my friends) from that article.

I mean besides the fact that cracking down on corrupt Chinese officials might just lead to a bloodbath that dwarfs the Holocaust.

[HisMajestyBOB]

I asked my girlfriend about Bo, and she likes him and thinks he has good policies, although she didn't elaborate on what, exactly, she likes about them.

I'm a bit worried about her now, to be honest.

[Sheilbh]

Yeah I did not get what he is the 'most dangerous man in the world' (stay deadly my friends) from that article.

Maybe a bit over the top.  But he's a bit of a populist who was building a local personality cult and bringing back lots of old Maoist traditions.  He could have been dangerous on the politburo for China and the world.

I think there was suggestions things were turning against him when Wen Jiabao made pointed anti-cultural revolution remarks earlier this week.  Though he also made really open remarks on the need for political reform.  They were surprisingly strong in my opinion, I don't know if any China-watchers saw them or what they thought?

Apparently what happens now will be telling, whether or not he's investigated and prosecuted or just quietly disappears.  The former would apparently suggest a big rift in the leadership, but the press release on this still referred to him as 'Comrade Bo' which may be significant

[The Minsky Moment]

Putting a self-styled populist with a penchant for neo-Maoism and a total contempt for the rule of law into the most powerful governing body in the world strikes me as a danger equal to any I can think of today that would involve a single individual.

[Monoriu]

Bo did 3 things in Chongqing - root out the triads, "sing red", and provide welfare for the poor. 

The problem is the way he did things.  It is arbitrary, populist, and Maoist.  Take the triads for example.  Sure, that's a good thing that made him popular.  But he didn't exactly strengthen the rule of law or promote a culture of clean government.  He just pointed at this triad and say get rid of them.  Due process, evidence and the law be damned, even by Chinese standards.  The defence lawyer of the triad leaders was jailed on dubious charges.  The money for welfare isn't from normal government revenues.  He simply confiscated triad money and redistributed them to the poor, Robinhood style. 

The sing red part is the biggest problem.  He used state media resources and mobilised the crowds to do it.  It smacks of cultural revolution, Stalinist personality cults and mass political movements which many Chinese still remember as having killed millions not that many decades ago. 

[CountDeMoney]

Not surprising;  CCP doen't like its leaders to exhibit a cult of personality and even possible diversionary thinking that could conceivably be a threat.  Look at Hu Yaobang and hell, even Zhao Ziyang.

[Monoriu]

I think there was suggestions things were turning against him when Wen Jiabao made pointed anti-cultural revolution remarks earlier this week.  Though he also made really open remarks on the need for political reform.  They were surprisingly strong in my opinion, I don't know if any China-watchers saw them or what they thought?

This isn't the first time Wen says something similar.  This is his last year as premier of China and he wants to secure his legacy as a reformer.  But he is probably alone in the top Chinese leadership who openly promotes political reform.  It will amount to nothing. 

[Monoriu]

Not surprising;  CCP doen't like its leaders to exhibit a cult of personality and even possible diversionary thinking that could conceivably be a threat.  Look at Hu Yaobang and hell, even Zhao Ziyang.

Bo is known as a leftist in mainland China.  The sort of leftist who wants to turn the clock back to the good old days of the Mao era, where the strong man rules with the backing of the crowds.  He is very far from reformers like Hu or Zhao.  Wen, who is considered one of the most open-minded of the top Chinese leaders and himself a right-hand man of Zhao, openly blasted Bo in a press conference a few days ago that made headlines.  It wasn't a heat of the moment thing.  It was clear that Wen was almost waiting for the inevitable reporter question to make his views on Bo known. 

[CountDeMoney]

He is very far from reformers like Hu or Zhao.

You don't need to be a reformer in China to get hammered over there;  you just need to be the tallest nail.

[Sheilbh]

This isn't the first time Wen says something similar.  This is his last year as premier of China and he wants to secure his legacy as a reformer.  But he is probably alone in the top Chinese leadership who openly promotes political reform.  It will amount to nothing.

This is what I was referring to, just so we're talking about the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17362644

The UK news I saw on this said it was very strong and direct for him which is what interested me.  You're probably right, especially that he wants to cement his legacy as a 'reformer' even though he did little.  It could be trying to draft history.

[Monoriu]

This isn't the first time Wen says something similar.  This is his last year as premier of China and he wants to secure his legacy as a reformer.  But he is probably alone in the top Chinese leadership who openly promotes political reform.  It will amount to nothing.

This is what I was referring to, just so we're talking about the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17362644

The UK news I saw on this said it was very strong and direct for him which is what interested me.  You're probably right, especially that he wants to cement his legacy as a 'reformer' even though he did little.  It could be trying to draft history.

Yeah, we are talking about the same press conference. 

His talk about political reform is nothing new.  He has expressed similar sentiments in multiple occasions in the past.  There are conflicting views on Wen.  Many think he is sincere.  Some say his performances are Oscar-worthy.  But in any case, he is #3 in the politburo standing committee and out of the 9 members, he alone publicly embraces politcal reform.  My point is that one person out of the 9 can't achieve anything, regardless of his true intentions. 

[Jacob]

We've been following this for a while in the Jacob household. The news of Bo's sacking created great cheers, and even prompted my wife to post on weibo on the subject.

[Jacob]

Putting a self-styled populist with a penchant for neo-Maoism and a total contempt for the rule of law into the most powerful governing body in the world strikes me as a danger equal to any I can think of today that would involve a single individual.

Yeah, I'm with you on your assessment of Bo.