It’s tough to be a cop in Beijing. With a major political meeting upcoming, Beijing cops are making sure that the worse cases are someone else’s problem.
Police from two districts of the Chinese capital got into a brawl yesterday over a dissident neither side wanted on their territory, the Standard reports. The 17th Party Congress, due to start Monday, has authorities frantically playing “hide the dissident” in order to ensure a “harmonious” event.
That is pretty strong evidence that the communist system is still somewhat intact in China. There are two reasons I am saying this. The first is that they are arresting priests in the first place. The second reason: a problem is only a problem if it’s your problem. I’ve seen this at work in other communist countries in East Asia. It seems that getting ahead in The Party or in any government job has nothing to do with what you do, and everything to do with what you don’t. (I’ll pause here for you to discuss whether that is any different from government jobs in non-communist countries). Perhaps it is ironic that the only people the police are really out to protect are themselves. Perhaps you can just shrug and say “that’s China.”
I’m sure more follies with Beijing’s law enforcement are in the future, especially with the Olympics a fraction of a year away. I’m sure no police chief wants Bob Costas to be pick-pocketed in his district.
