33 Comments Add your own

• 1. Dan N  |  December 20th, 2010 at 2:36 pm

  Professor Carr,
  I wouldn’t call it “China’s warts”, I would call it China’s soul. Warts are ugly to look at but not life threatening. Whether forgotten, suppressed, or oppressed, the way that China has shoved its past into the closet and pretended like it never happened reminds me of the movie Poltergeist: you can’t build your home on top of a cemetery and get away with it!

  I was particularly shocked by this story because I stood in Tiananmen Square in January 1990 and was completely unaware of what had transpired there just 6 months prior. I can still remember the line of people outside of Mao Zedong’s mausoleum. It stretched all the way across the square. How strange that 6 months later, his remains were still that popular. I wonder why…

  This documentary has caused me to rethink how I feel about everything China-related. It has caused me to rethink my previous posts on this blog. I want to be careful not to let the pendulum representing my attitude towards China swing to far in the other direction at this point. The most important thing that I’ve learned from this story is that my knowledge of China is far too limited to reach conclusions about the state of China today. I confess that I have certainly been overly optimistic about the situation thus far and will assess China’s present and future much more cautiously moving forward.

  The continued oppression of certain Chinese groups is appalling and we can not “look the other way” because appeasing the CCP will lead to riches or avoid wars.

• 2. Robbin Forsyth  |  December 30th, 2010 at 11:50 am

  I do believe that Deng Xiaoping’s “Deal with the Devil” was the right move after the 1989 T-Square massacre. I also believe that China would not be the same today without his economic policies. The improvement in the quality of millions of lives under the current pseudo capitalist, totalitarian government is remarkable and must be acknowledged. However, I do struggle with the Communist/Socialist lies about representing the average worker. China is now a Capitalistic country with an Elite governing caste. The single policy of not funding public education is a clear ploy to expand an educated elite class at the expense of the average Chinese citizen. Trying to maintain these policies will be the single biggest challenge of the CPC going forward.
  Deng Xiaoping is famously quoted saying “To be rich is glorious.” In actuality the entire statement was, “Poverty is not socialism. To be rich is glorious.” If the CPC truly wants to maintain its single party control, I believe they need to move back slightly towards a socialism. The video shows clearly the sacrifices forced on the majority of the Chinese people in order to promote, focus and maintain economic growth in the large cities. Because of it enormous population, I believe China will not be able maintain this urban only strategy. The Chinese government needs to have a more diverse strategy in order to deal with unique challenges of it enormous population. Some type of social welfare system needs to be integrated into the current system in order to insure education and social stability. The Chinese government has the money to do this. The question is do they have the desire?
  A possible example can be taken from James Fallows’, Postcards from Tomorrow Square. In the chapter, How the West was Wired, Kenny Lin and Sayling Wen devise a plan to make it economically viable for people to remain in rural locations and while improving their standard of living. I believe that most rural Chinese would rather stay in their home regions and enjoy a better life than move to strange new cities as their only option for better life.

  I think that Jerry Yang from Yahoo should be sent to China to sit in jail with Chinese journalist Shi Tao for the rest of his sentence.

  The video “Generation Gap Over Tiananmen Square” is shocking in that it shows how well historical information is managed in China be the elite ruling caste. The scene of the four students staring blankly at the photos really helps perpetuate the “ignorant” Chinese stereotype that Kaiser Kuo was so upset about. Maybe the “Great Firewall” is more effective than he realizes. At the same time it is depressing to see that the children of the elite in China are just as disconnected from world history as most of their peers in the USA. How many American undergrads understand the details of the US invasion and war in Iraq?

• 3. Cassie Bettencourt  |  January 5th, 2011 at 7:02 pm

  Many aspects of this video were eye opening. First of all, my knowledge of the details surrounding the the T. Square massacre was quite vague and incoherent. This video really helped me put the whole even in perspective, especially after working through some of the prior blog posts. I have seen the Tank Man before, but I had never seen him in the context of of the crushed protests and violence of the previous days - ignorant, I know.

  That being said, I feel that the CCP’s violence and crushing of the protests were more of an attack on democracy. The political protests are the ones that the government fears will cause the most instability. However, viewing it as an attempt to allow market reforms for modernization is an interesting side plot. It is interesting because they ended up using the incident to make the “deal with the devil.” I thought it was explained quite eloquently in the video as choosing between a politics door or an economics door - choose economics with no challenge to the party’s rule and our nation will thrive. I feel that most people would rationally and happily choose the economics door, and sign this so-called social contract.

  This point ties into Winston Churchill’s quote. Although I find it amusing, I cannot be sure that it should be applied to today’s China. Would the foundation that this new China has been built upon fail if the social contract with Communism was broken and democracy initiated? I do not know enough to come up with an intelligent answer. Obviously, America is a Democratic country because that’s how we were born and we believe in it. China is currently developing and they are currently Communist. It is logical to me that they might stay this way because of this.

  Finally, the fact that China’s youth are more pro-government and more nationalistic and not more skeptical than one would expect is exemplified by the scene in the video where the four students blankly examine the photo of Tank Man. I agree with Robbin that this is shocking but also somewhat expected in that it sustains the current stereotype.

• 4. David Hart  |  January 6th, 2011 at 10:49 pm

  China’s incredible economic growth throughout the past several years as a result of the Chinese economic polices is impressive. China seems to have certainly moved even farther forward economically since the T-Square protests. Of course there are still many challenges.

  I was not aware that there were two different groups that protested at T-Square. That is interesting to note that some of the students did not like some of the pro market economic policies. When I see the amazing opportunities the Chinese market reforms have given the Chinese people,it is clear that this newfound freedom in the markets has created a better life for many. At least now there are more “haves” in China.

  The video effectively showed that with economic growth comes many challenges. The Chinese government needs to continue to do more to ensure that workers have more rights. Also, I find it disturbing that the government continues to control the media and political discourse. The people have a right to know the truth about their own history. China still has a long way to go to be fair to its people about their own individual freedoms and rights. It will be interesting to see in the future if some form of democracy will emerge. How long can the government keep a lid on people’s opinions and knowledge?

  I wonder if one of the reasons why Chinese students are more pro government and nationalistic today than in 1989 is because the economic conditions have improved so much. They have more opportunities than ever before. Life is seems to be getting better for individuals as opportunities expand. In addition, I wonder if these students have been taught from the time they were young students how to think of the government.

  The Tank Man Video was very powerful. Not only did it describe the T-Square event, but it also showed the economic boom with its positives and negatives. It is disturbing to see the those workers who are not treated fairly. The violence between the rural people who were defending their land against the incoming power plant also was an eye opener. Finally, I wonder when college students in China will be more familiar with the incredible influence of the T-Square massacre.

• 5. Brady Haug  |  January 8th, 2011 at 2:02 pm

  The picture of the Tank Man is an iconic image that I have seen dozens of times. I have personally studied and read very little about Chinese history. This documentary was extremely revealing and intriguing into the events that took place in Tiananmen Square. The documentary starts by stating that Tiananmen Square represented the insignificance of the individual before the might of the state. I think when we finally get to see the square in real life, the imagery and scale of what happened will really come to life.

  I was aware of protesting and rioting that lead up the Tank Man’s protest, but I never knew the intensity of them. It was interesting to hear that the demonstrations were largely started by students. The fact that the government treated the protests as a student phenomenon really showed the firmness of the government. It was stated that the events weren’t treated as a real threat until older citizens from the western provinces joined in. The first portion of documentary reminded me of the shootings at Kent State in 1970. The students that were protesting the invasion of Cambodia were eventually fired upon by the Ohio National Guard. It was a gross overreaction to the events of that day. The protests leading to the Tiananmen Square stand began as an effort to encourage free speech and eliminate corruption in the government.

  The deal with the devil that is mentioned in the documentary deals with the cover up of what happened in 1989. This is shown by the strict regulation of such items as the picture of the Tank Man. It is crazy that the majority of students below twenty would not even recognize the picture. It is mentioned that the government loosened its economic hold on the country for political incentives. In order to entice the public to keep quiet about the travesty of Tiananmen Square, they halted political reform, not economic. Areas were zoned for investment and foreign money flowed in. The plan “bought the communist party a new lease on life” because there would be no party challenge. I think Churchill’s quote epitomizes opinions of government. There is no governmental cure to the problems of any country. I feel that the pros of the deal were worthwhile for Easterners of China. Western China is still plagued by poverty. It’s impossible to answer the question as to whether democracy would cure the issues posed in the documentary and help Western China to survive.

  Without the events of Tiananmen Square, China may have very well been on track to their current standing, but I don’t believe they would be even close to where they are today. I think the economic boom would have been stunted and slowed if not for the events of 1989. It was the catalyst for change and decision in governmental policy. The CCP crushed the protests in order to protect the so-called stability of the country. I think in deciding between whether the attacks were an effort to crush democratic ideas or an effort to allow markets to grow, I would side with the attempt to crush democracy. The protesters were seen as counter revolutionaries. I feel such acts of aggression from the government were enacted to keep China in the firm stable hands of communism.

• 6. Will Moeller  |  January 18th, 2011 at 8:09 pm

  What’s most surprising about the Tankman is not what actually happened, but what has happened and has since been forgotten in China.

  From what I know so far, which admittedly falls vastly short of being fully informed, the PLA’s march on Tianamen Square seems wholly politically motivated. The video mentions that the world expected the Chinese government to fall in the weeks leading up to June 4, 1989. Combining this with what Susan Shirk has said in her book, the one thing the CCP holds most dear is its own well-being. Thus the attack was on democracy (politics), and the result was economic freedom.

  It seems that the CCP needed to give the people something in the wake of the massacre. It needed to give hope. Thus, it opened itself to trade, and the type A China began to prosper. This leaves Deng looking more like a devilish, infamous and deceitful character as opposed to the crafty, patient and intelligent leader Shirk shows him as. In return, the Chinese people have implicitly agreed not to resurrect the events of 1989.

  The deal has worked for the CCP. The most shocking moment in the video was the college students failing to recognize tankman. Oddly, when I told my father-in-law I had to watch a video called, “tankman”.he responded knowingly by asking if it was about Tianamen Square. Americans know the tankman, Chinese do not. It seems unbelievable. Then again, it’s worth stopping to ask how much the story was inflated by the western world.

  Thus, it seems clear China is, as a whole, much more economically prosperous today than it would have been otherwise had Tianamen not happened. It spawned more free trade for China. It spawned wealth and advancement for some, but not all. (As an interesting sidenote, I kept thinking that China is the perfect setting for an American New Deal to propel the entire country forward.)

  In the end, those Chinese that played the game have won. Those in Beijing University (or at least the sample of four students) cannot recall the tragic events of Tianamen. Yet they are the ones in the most prestigious university. Furthermore, they are the sons and daughters of the wealthy Chinese. The system worked, but at what cost?

• 7. Katie Moeller  |  January 18th, 2011 at 8:11 pm

  The Tank Man is a powerful video as it showcases a man standing for ordinary people’s rights. This video was educational for me because I knew little about Tiananmen Square before watching it. I believe it highlighted some great points about the government, the people, and the future implications.

  The “deal with the devil” was a powerful step in moving forward. The people had the chance to either keep fighting the political battle or have hope and choose the economy. I didn’t realize that there were two different groups protesting. Overall, I think the government was concerned with staying powerful and it didn’t matter who was protesting what. Their control over the people didn’t want to be questioned. This is why it is fascinating that people do not know what happened to the Tank Man. He embarrassed the government and I’m surprised he was able to disappear and now it’s a mystery if he was executed or remains free.

  I believe that the Tiananmen Square events had to happen in order for the country and the people to move forward. As some of the interviewee’s stated, the massacre of 1989 led to prosperity and growth. People then had the opportunity to work and make a living. A downfall has been the issue of education. The people have to pay for education now and it’s caused a lot of the people to leave their families. This is one of the tradeoffs that have occurred since this event.

  It’s worthwhile to note that the video mentions that no one under 20 has seen the Tiananmen Square video or pictures of this massacre. The government has done a good job in hiding the documentation. For example, the Google search in China only populates 3 pages of Tiananmen Square and they show maps and smiling tourists. In the United States, it populates 18 pages (67 pages today) of images of the tank man and descriptions of the events. The government control is active. I know we had to respond to a question in regards to this matter for our application to the Cal Poly MBA. I think since doing these blogs and seeing this video, I would have written a lot better essay. I have learned a lot since being immersed in these readings and videos.

• 8. Tim Easton  |  January 21st, 2011 at 9:27 pm

  Tank Man was an outstanding video that opened my eyes to what has happened in China. I have seen the image of Tank Man multiple times but I did not know about the importance it had around the world. The fact that Tank Man stood for the freedom of the Chinese people, inspired hope around the world and was a help in overthrowing the Soviet Union. The awareness of the photographer to hide the roll of film in the toilet was brilliant on his part. It is a fair guess to say that China would be completely different if that image did not exist. The video also expanded my knowledge of the massacre in T. Square. The protests that were taking place around T. Square were amazing, and I was shocked that members of the Chinese Army and Navy joined in. Besides the Tank Man scene, the other scenes that stood out were when the protesters were feeding the Army as they tried to reach T. Square and when the Army was shooting the parents and the ambulance as they were running away.

  I believe that China would not be where it is today if T. Square did not happen and this economic miracle would not have happened. The “deal with the devil” that was made was definitely the right move as it has launched China into a world power. The creation of a middle class and the economic boom has been great for China and a decent portion of its population. Something needs to be done for the lower class, particularly the farmers. The disparity in wealth is outrageous and I have a problem in the way that the Chinese government is treating its people. China will not be able to survive if they do not change their policies on education and healthcare, as they are currently leaving a majority of their population behind. Through many of our readings it appears that people are starting to point out the fact that the government is forgetting western China. Maybe this publicity will spark a desire to change.

  Finally, it is amazing to see how effective the censorship has been. I was blown away by the scene with the four current students. Only one of the students knew the image was from 1989, but still had no idea what the image represented. Today it seems that students, and most of the younger generation, are pro-government. The four in the video mostly thought that it was a government parade even further solidifying their belief in the government.

• 9. Randy Camat  |  January 29th, 2011 at 11:00 am

  First of all, I would like to thank you for finally opening my eyes on the Tiananmen Square protests. I’ve tried to do some research about Tiananmen Square when the trip to China became more of a reality, but I never really got to the whole meaning of the 1989 protests. In addition, to my ignorance, I never correlated the Tank Man photo to Tiananmen Square. I remember seeing a poster of the Tank Man in one of the dorms freshman year and thought, “Wow, cool poster. That person has guts.” Back to the video, I agree with the others on here that the “deal with the devil” the Chinese government made with its people of halting political reform while continuing with economic reform helped cover up the events of Tiananmen Square. According to Susan Shirk in The Lessons of Tiananmen section of Chapter 3 of China: Fragile Super Power, the CCP’s formulas for stability were: (1) Avoid public leadership splits, (2) Prevent large-scale social unrest, and (3) Keep the military on the side of the Party. This could all be done with a successful rise of China’s economy – make people happy by giving them riches. As far as the question of whether democracy is the medicine for today’s China, I believe it to be true for the well being of its own citizens. Allowing the people to have more power would benefit the “China B” mentioned in the video – the “rural, poor and disenfranchised” – which account for the majority of the country.

  I also believe that CCP reaction to the protests was both a political attack on democracy and an attempt to allow market reform not so that China could modernize, but to show the Chinese people that their government knows what’s best for its people; not the other way around. Yes, we can see that allowing market reform was very beneficial to China as it became a global giant, but what really was being tested was the relationship with the government and its people. This success was something that the government could use prove to its people that a political reform was not necessary. This relates to the notion that China’s youth are pro government and nationalistic. Times are good – in an economic sense. Also, those that have an education usually come from an economically stable family. In their eyes, there are no hardships their family is going through because the economy is doing so well thanks to the works of their government. However, I think there would be a different view of the Chinese government if the youth did know about the Tiananmen Square massacre and the Tank Man. It is also the successful censorship by the government in erasing that part of history and shaping the new youth of China.

• 10. Kristine Spencer  |  February 5th, 2011 at 9:58 pm

  This movie made me really emotional because this mysterious man is a testimony that one person can make a difference in the world. He spoke for his entire nation in such a brave and powerful way in the face of great danger. This one person had such an impact on the world and had such pure intentions. We are all so fortunate that this was captured on film for the rest of world to see. It’s natural to be extremely curious of who this hero is, but it is probable that we will never know his identity.

  It was difficult for me to watch all of the bloodshed, anger, and desire for human rights knowing that the true reason for the protests still have not been given to the people. The government was willing to use disgusting violence, and thousands of innocent people were wounded or killed, all to keep their power over the people. I think the government used this overwhelming violence to crush democracy more than anything else. I don’t think that China would have been where they are today economically without the violence of 1989. The “deal with the devil” was the right choice in the sense that progress has been made, and the violence was stopped. The “deal with the devil” temporarily solved the problem, but I think the same issues will come up again eventually. Not everyone was a winner from this deal. The video describes the losers as the peasants and migrant workers who have little to no healthcare, education, pay, or human rights. The video states that the tension and unrest is growing as the divide between rich and poor worsens. The Chinese government can only do so little about the rural problems for so long. With such a large population, not everyone can live in an urban city. The rural Chinese need to be supported, educated, and given assistance. I agree with Robbin that it is an issue of social stability, and I too wonder if the government has a desire to help the losers from the deal with the devil.

  This video also made the censorship and police force seem worse than in previous blogs, podcasts, or videos. The fact that the Tank Man and the Massacre from just 22 years ago were completely unknown by the current students was astonishing. Western companies supporting and supplying the Chinese government with the advanced technology to monitor the Chinese citizens was creepy and disappointed me. I was aware that companies had this moral dilemma (obviously they all failed) and that some technology had been sold to the Chinese government. I was unaware that a journalist was sent to jail for 10 YEARS (who knows if he will ever get out) at the hands of Yahoo.

  I was glad that the video ended on an encouraging note, with someone saying that the “spirit of freedom will prevail longer than the spirit of tanks and the government.” I hope that the peasants and migrant workers eventually get what so many people fought and died for. I feel that eventually it is inevitable that the one party system will fall or evolve beyond recognition.

• 11. Matt Streiter  |  February 9th, 2011 at 5:43 pm

  The story of Tank Man is an amazing story. The courage and symbolism that is extracted from this man’s act defines that time period of China. It is amazing the steps the Chinese government took to suppress their people. What got to me the most is when the parents of students came back to the streets the next day looking for their kids, the army told them to leave and counted down to five threatening to fire. The army counted down and the parents left and the army fired anyway. The harshness and bloodshed ordered by the government was not only a way to control the citizens but also a message that communism is viable form of government.

  The deal made is one that I believe is only postponing the inevitable. That is allowing a watered down form of capitalism to exist in order to maintain power. The government did what was needed in order to gain control of the rioting people at the moment. China continues to grow and develop and the demands by the people will increase, most likely demanding more hands-off policies in businesses practices and civilian society. The event was necessary to put the government in their place. It was here that the leaders saw that there time in office could be in jeopardy and if they didn’t want to lose power all together they would have to reason with the people.

  This event reformed the Chinese economy, people lost their jobs, the gap between rich and poor grew tremendously, and many citizens faced more problems. Expensive education, health care, heavy migration to the east among others left many people in tough situations. Regarding the “Tank Man”, I can only realistically expect that he was taken into custody and executed. To think that he remains unknown and walking the streets would be pretty naive to think. Considering their heavy censorship and their intolerance of people rising against the government leads me to my conclusion especially since it was a public display of disapproval on such a large scale.

  An amazing part of the movie was when the four Chinese people were shown an image of the man in front of the tanks and they had no idea where it was from. The censorship in China is so extreme and efficient that they are able to cover up a landmark event in Chinese history. As China continues to develop I believe the people there will become more aware and demand more transparency from their government.

• 12. Sarah Weinzapfel  |  February 9th, 2011 at 11:41 pm

  Before this video I was ignorant about the events that happened in Tiananmen Square. I thought this video and the footage of the 1989 disaster was very moving. The footage was disturbing….shocking. You hear about something, but when you see it for yourself it’s so different.

  I think the pros of the “deal with the devil” outweigh the cons. I think the economic flourishing that they started will only continue. In “China: Fragile Superpower” Shirk talks about the government wanting to keep the people happy. She explains that their domestic issues are more important to them than anything. The more the people want, the more they have to deliver. At the same time, the more the government gives, the more they fear it weakens them. I thought it was interesting that they phrased it as “the virus of freedom”.

  I think that the CCP was trying to prevent demonstrations promoting democracy reform. I think the government had seen other communist governments falling around them and they were more scared of that happening to them more than anything else. I think China would be where they are today even if Tiananmen didn’t happen in 1989. Something like it was bound to happen sooner or later. However, had it happened at a different time, place, and under different conditions, I don’t know that there would have another Tank Man. I think he was much of the inspiration for China’s economic miracle.

  As far as China’s youth being so pro-government, it just goes to show that the government has censored so much of the history that comes close to embarrassing the government themselves. From what I’ve read, it sounds like China’s youth is almost brain washed. The four students in the video supposedly had no idea what the Tank Man picture meant. I believe that they didn’t really know except for the one boy who whispered “89”. He might have had some sort of idea, but probably not the whole picture. The government wants to make sure that people like the protestors at Tiananmen know that it is best not to protest and keep quiet.

• 13. Anthony Kallioinen  |  February 13th, 2011 at 3:26 pm

  It’s amazing how the world’s largest gathering space (which makes sense to be in the world’s most populous country) is the place that the Chinese government fears the most. They understand that this area is a ‘powder-keg’ waiting to explode if another protest takes place. By combining this post with the last one, one can see how the government is afraid that if something similar to the events of June ’89 was repeated, this time — with the prevalence of mobile technology in today’s modern world — the rest of the world will understand the atrocities of the Chinese government’s suppression of its people.

  It is subsequently amazing the profound effect that ‘the tank man’ has had upon the world. I liked how the author says that he is probably just an ordinary citizen so disgusted with what he has seen over the last couple days. Yet, regardless of his qualifications or motives, his action on that day serves as inspiration to people around the world.

  This must have been a very difficult time for the Chinese leaders. They can see communism failing around the world. They can see their people roiling and unity fading. They had to make a hard choice if they were to remain in power. The outcome of this event is probably what has set China in the bind of remaining consistent with this theme of policy.

  It is amazing to me that the soldiers could be so callous; to shoot doctors, nurses, parents, especially when they were running away. It makes so much sense that the Chinese government wants all information about this event censored. And then ‘the tank man’ comes onto the scene. He spoke for the people and now serves as a symbol of a people who refuse to be defeated.

  Was the quelling of the brutal events in ’89 the government’s attempt to stop democratic reform or to push forward with economic reform so that the country could modernize?

  It seems like in response to this call for reform; the government has done just what Mr. Schell has said: they offered economic reform in place of political reform to improve the lives of its citizens. I think that the government was really interested in both of these reasons, but that they were more focused in one leading to the other. I think that the government was very aware that if Democracy was brought to the country that this would mean the end of communist rule and more specifically the end of the power of the current leaders. Instead of championing against this end, the party leaders elected to do this in reverse. If they led with pushing for economic reform, they would gain the support of the masses who are really just interested in a better lifestyle. If they improved the lives of their people they also improved their status as the governing body and the support of the people for that body. That being said, it is really depressing to hear the working conditions and the pay of the migrant workers. It must be really disheartening to realize that there are hundreds of people competing for your job. If you are not up to the challenge, speed, and meager pay, there exists someone who is. This is a terrible negotiation stance – that one is willing to agree to 364 hours of work for $120 every a month, even if it raising one’s standard of living.

  On a side note, I have ridden on the Maglev Train in Shanghai, it is crazy fast and I hope we get to ride it during our time in there. I liked the part that said that this was German technology and it was considered to be too expensive to implement. The Chinese show that they are not like the rest of the world in that they found a way.

• 14. Kyle R.  |  February 16th, 2011 at 12:03 am

  The Tank Man video was a real eye opener for me. It completely changes my perception of China in many ways. The video was great in presenting the facts behind the T-Square massacre and I also found the information regarding the current China and it’s struggling classes very important. I knew that there was this major separation between the classes, but actually seeing video and hearing testimony really made it seem personal. I now look at doing business in China as a blessing along with a curse. Like the video showed, the people in the cities really can capitalize on the economic boom, but the citizens in rural areas seem to go farther into poverty. I feel this separation between the economic classes will only increase as this continues in China.

  In regards to the T-Square massacre, I had really never seen any footage behind the incident. I have read about it many times and seen pictures, but always wanted to see video to completely understand the environment at that time. A few years ago I took a class on Asian art history. I was assigned a contemporary artist named Fang Lijun. Fang was a student at the time of the T-Square Massacre and witnessed firsthand what occurred. The T-Square massacre heavily influenced his artwork which evolved into a new division called Cynical Realism. His artwork expresses the suffering and turmoil that Chinese citizens carry with them in their everyday life. This suffering is directly related to poverty, communism, and the T-Square massacre.

  The aftermath of the T-Square massacre has definitely proved economically beneficial for the people of China. I believe that China would have continued to head in the direction it was going (before 1989) if the students and everyday citizens didn’t protest. What they did has definitely influenced the government’s position on economic policy and required extreme bravery. However, it is truly a shame that so many had to give their lives for a partial reform. I also don’t agree with the way China has handled the situation. I feel that the Chinese government should address this issue that still bothers so many people. However, I was very surprised to see the Chinese students who could not identify the Tank Man picture. I understand that it is nearly impossible for citizens to obtain any information of the T-Square incident, but something so revolutionary, that occurred 22 yrs. ago, should be passed on by word of mouth. I figured that it was very unlikely that the students would recognize the photo, as the Tank Man incident was aired only once on television, most likely before they were born, but I thought for sure though that the students would associate it with the T-Square timeframe.

• 15. j hurley  |  February 16th, 2011 at 1:31 pm

  I thought this was a very well done video, and definitely a huge eye opener to say the least. I had no idea that there was so much bloodshed involved in what started as a peaceful protest. The video did a good job of showing China’s past and linking it to how it has helped China develop over the last two decades. It was also shown that there is still a huge divide between China “A” and China “B” in regards to finances, living conditions, etc.
  In all honesty, I would like to say that China would not be where is is today if Tiananmen Square did not happen, but I truly don’t think it was the largest factor for China’s recent growth.

  For the past few decades, China has increased in size, power and capabilities. Much of this size increase is due to the fact the Chinese government has been pushing to increase China’s industrial and manufacturing power. I don’t think this push was a direct result of past incidents but more of a result from the Chinese realizing that they can play an important rule as a world wide manufacturer.

  It appears that the government has provided more freedoms to its people and since China’s growth rate parallels this it seems that the one is a result of the other. However, I don’t think the correlation is this direct. In the past few decades, China’s government has found and taken advantage of the world wide need for manufacturing. Capturing this opportunity is what has allowed China to grow, and fortunately for some, freedoms and wellness of life has increased. However, for the majority of Chinese citizens this is not true as most still live in poverty and unhealthy living conditions.

• 16. Jessica Shayler  |  February 21st, 2011 at 5:24 pm

  The events in China in 1989 really forced the CCP to focus on one strategy and choose the battles they wanted to fight. From what I understand, prior to 1989, there were at least two paths the people of China wanted the government to follow: democracy and slower economic reform/progress. Up until June 1989, it seems the CCP didn’t have a focused objective or plan to accomplish that objective. It was only after their fear of the worker uprising took over that they were able to choose a direction. Judging by their current economic strength, they chose wisely. This outcome is unlikely to have occurred without a catalyst - June 1989 was a perfect catalyst, it’s just a shame it cost so much.

  To be honest, I watched this video clip over a month ago and wept through the whole thing. I couldn’t focus enough at that time to write a response. I think I’ve talked before about how I think we as humans are basically the same. This is despite our cultural differences, time in history, sex, upbringing, etc. What makes us human unites us for better or worse. We are all (to varying degrees) greedy, selfish, myopic, and we do crazy things when we’re afraid. This video made me wonder what crazy things am I capable of doing when I’m scared enough? The CCP was afraid enough to give their soldiers live rounds and an ultimatum. The soldiers were scared enough to kill their people, their brothers.

  After June 1989, the CCP maintained focus on economic growth with staggering success. Incidentally, I feel this same focus is how they approach information control - they choose their battles; June 1989 is one of them. Now, over two decades later, the CCP needs to decide again how to stay in the game they’ve set up. How will they maintain the growth of their economy to continue to increase the standard of living for (some of) it’s people without spending anything on government programs? How will they handle discontent with the increasing have/have’nots gap? Let’s just hope the CCP’s future decisions cost less than their past choices.

• 17. Chris Bruns  |  February 25th, 2011 at 12:48 pm

  A lot of the information in this video was eye opening and I was keeping a list of what stuck out to me. What was described as an open embrace of capitalism and all of the changes from the T. Square riots/massacre is staggering. There have been so many economic reforms and such a rapid rise of China, however the political reform is halted with obstruction. The new China is a huge consumer of coal, steel grain, petroleum, cars, etc. after being such a closed off country. And the new economically divided China between with the rich party and the peasants, these workers at the bottom scraping by. Additionally, it was strange that the students today don’t recognize the photo or the context. It is amazing that it has been kept from people, that they don’t know the issue took place, and that no one under twenty is likely to have seen it. China walks a fine line between allowing information to come through to encourage consumerism and what the state doesn’t want its people to see. And the extent the Chinese market is being catered to because everyone wants business is amazing to me.

  It is my opinion the Chinese state wanted to make its power and presence known at the time of the shooting. The protesting against repression and hardship of the masses of people, all with different backgrounds was frightening to the higher-ups. With military and doctors and workers and students the state was in fear of change, possibly a new democracy, but what struck home in my mind was the power of the common worker. The government feared the ordinary worker, and how the ordinary worker is viewed as the main vehicle to change power.

  However, from the WSJ article, the final line really sums up how things should be looked at from our outsider point of view: ‘He rejects the idea that “democracy” and “human rights” are universal notions. “Unlike in the West, we don’t stand on a higher plane and spot problems with democracy and human rights in other places,” he says. “You have your values, we have ours.”’

  All of that being said, it is my belief that the government is made of people, and people are fallible. And when it came to watching this video and listening to how the state fears the common man/workers a quote from Jefferson popped into my head, “When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.“

• 18. Jason Jay Sharma  |  February 26th, 2011 at 10:27 pm

  Watching Tank Man was really amazing–I really liked this Frontline special. It’s hard to believe that not much more was done from the outside world after realizing what had happened. I’ve seen documentaries and other films on Tiananmen Square, and every time it’s heart-wrenching and hard to swallow the incidents that occurred. It’s hard to say otherwise, but without the Tiananmen Square incident China would definitely not be in the same position it is today. Tiananmen Square was successful in many ways because of what it did help to initiate, if even years later–the “Deal with the Devil”: continue economic reforms, but no more political reforms. Deng Xiaoping knew that if protests such as Tiananmen occurred even once more, he would have many more problems to deal with. For him, economic reforms were the minimum he could do to maintain any sort of order and retain his power without as much uproar.

  The question I still keep thinking about is: Was all the bloodshed and death worth it? Has China changed enough so that those lives were no lost in vein? I think most people would say yes off the top of their heads. China has grown economically stronger, the nation has developed more on all fronts, and the Chinese people are earnings tremendously more now than ever before. Well, we should also account for those Chinese who haven’t made the transition to modern work and the millions still farming away with little money. Sure a number of people have better lives, but is it just a case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer? For those making more money, the 3 factory girls interviewed for example, most of their money goes back home to their parents to pay for their younger siblings’ education. They even admit that it isn’t always enough. As it was mentioned in the video, while China does have more modern jobs to give out, it is always taking away necessities such as education through higher costs.

  From a censorship point of view, the biggest shock I had was with the four college students who couldn’t make much of the Tank Man picture from Tiananmen Square. Their responses were shocking–not a single clue. However, I have my ideas that they may have been beating around the bush since the male student even says “1989″ but then acts stumped. If they honestly didn’t know of who Tank Man was or what happened at Tiananmen Square, it’s one of the most saddening aspects of the young Chinese generation. Tiananmen Square is part of these people’s culture and history, and to have a country slice out a piece of history and act as if it never happened is disgraceful. This might be extreme, but it’s as if none of my classmates were aware of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

  My favorite portion of this documentary was the Congressional Committee’s question asking Yahoo, Google, Cisco, and Microsoft is they would turn in Anne Frank during WWII to compile with local law. Burn.

• 19. Jessie Wilkie  |  February 27th, 2011 at 7:31 pm

  Before reading this post, I didn’t know that there were at least two camps/interest groups in the square during the protests. I don’t know what the government’s intention was in crushing the protest. I feel that the intention was more to crush the democratic movement because the regime cares more about protecting one party rule than it does about the economy. I feel that the economic modernization was more an afterthought and a compromise. It seems that the concept of the have and have nots would be more pronounced after globalization, not before. So I don’t see these factions being substantial enough to warrant government fear.

  The first half of the documentary was really hard for to me to watch. It was so sad that the military was killing its own people. The part where they discuss the streetlights going out reminded me of a news clip that I watched last night on Libya. They were discussing the streetlights and how they were still on. This was a notable fact because in Urban warfare, the streetlights are often one of the first things to go. This was so eerie to me, especially when the event lights came on after a while.

  My heart was wrenched when the part about the parents came up. These poor parents were going nuts and looking for their kids who were students. I kept imagining my parents in that scenario. Trying to find me and getting shot in the back. And then when the ambulance came in and was shot down. I was shocked. This was a massacre.

  The middle of the film comes back to the tank man to discuss how he was a symbol. Before June 4th you had the streets flooded with peaceful protestors asking for more rights. After June 4th there was the one man who stood in front of the tank. No one knows what happened to this brave man. Some assume that he was helped others assume that he was executed. The documentary then transitions into discussion of business and China’s so called deal with the devil.

  After the Tiananmen incident, China decided not to regulate the economy, but to regulate the politics. This was a compromise by the government to give the people more freedom. I thought the high speed train analogy for the economy was interesting. Here are some facts about modern China:
  *$600 month pay is good in China.
  *1.3 billion consumers in China.
  *Two Chinas: China A is big cities with businessmen and governments. It faces many problems that developed nations face. China B is the developing China, which is still the vast majority of China. It faces many problems that developing nations face.
  *Education and healthcare have collapsed in China. Education is no longer free.
  *750 million peasant farmers and their families in China. The number one reason migrants leave their families is to work to pay for education for their children. The largest migration in history and the basis of China’s industrial strength.

  It was frightening that the Beijing students had never seen the tank man picture. This image is censored from the Internet in China. Western IT companies bend over backward to meet Chinese government demands. Yahoo and Cisco have even sold Chinese government the means to censor the Internet. Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft went to court because they were accomplices of oppression.

  I believe that Tiananmen Square contributed to China’s “light-speed” economic miracle. If it hadn’t happened, I do not believe that the government would have been so set on economic reform to keep the people happy. However, this reform came at a price. It has increased the gap between the rich and the poor and the gap between the city and the countryside. People in the city are better off because of the reform, but people in the countryside are not. The country folks, however, had seen worse times during Mao so this isn’t the worst. But education and healthcare are at an all time low for people. It truly is a toss up. And only time will see how China continues to develop.

  The WSJ article brought up the fact that Chinese students are more supportive of the government today. Bravo to the regime. They did a wickedly brilliant job of eliminating educational materials and history (like Tiananmen Square) and providing the students with a booming economy full of materialism and jobs. The propaganda and market economy really paid off.

• 20. Amanda Podesta  |  March 5th, 2011 at 7:30 pm

  I really appreciated “The Tank Man.” It reported what happened in Tiananmem Square objectively and demystified for me what some of the event’s cultural impact has been.
  Watching the documentary and the WSJ follow-up, the concept of a certain… sensitivity about relating history was not entirely alien to me. Even now, it is awkward discussing World War II around Germans. In fact, unless it was Remembrance Day, V-Day, etc.: “Don’t mention the war” [at least in contexts that reflect poorly on the German people]. If you’d like to see how this contains to be retained in contemporary British culture then reference this link to QI, a popular quiz show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3YyZr6El3M
  Where I think that these types of interventions err dangerously is when it becomes the victors trying to write the history books. Their actions bar free speech. While Tiananmem Square is the most iconic, CCP’s history is peppered with such incidences such as when it fired a newspaper editor for going to press with an article calling for more even-handed revisions of historical events as taught in the classrooms (2006), China’s firewall blocks internet results for “Tiananmen Square,” (since 1989), or when the party creates international crisis by protesting modifications in Japan’s history books that do not view China “sympathetically” enough (2005).
  Coincidentally, I wonder if we’re currently witnessing a subtle policy change. It seems like China’s is maybe reevaluating its model for “deal[ing] with the devil.” On Feb 10, 11, the WSJ reported that the CCP is seemingly becoming more responsive to the countryside (and the population eking out their living in more traditional methods) as it pledges $1B to a new program to support agriculture: “China Lifts Farm Subsidies.” (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703716904576133961987047574.html).

• 21. Tara Millard  |  March 6th, 2011 at 9:17 pm

  “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” Whether or not the protestors in 1989 believed this, they obviously believed that their own lives were worth giving to the cause.

  Until I watched this video, I was unaware of what took place in Tiananmen Square, and that frightens me beyond belief. How is it that I am about to graduate with a Masters degree and I am unaware of this explosive time in China’s history. These protests are becoming more and more common and we are continuing to hear about other countries in uproar over this same issue of democratic reform. Perhaps history is repeating itself for many reasons, but I cannot help but wonder if an attempt to learn and understand foreign history might change the happenings of the present.

  As for the Tank Man, although a heroic figure, he was no more heroic than the students who gave their own lives for this very issue. While the government had gained control the night before through violence and instilling fear, this young man was willing to lead the people in continuing their heartfelt protests. We discussed this very issue in our Organizational Behavior Class. In order to start a movement there needs to be a fearless leader and an equally fearless first follower. While the Tank Man served as the brave leader, his efforts would have been null and void had the students not followed the movement he stood and risked his life for. Upon seeing this brave leader and his student followers, the rest of the country, regardless of age or status, began to join in. The government had not won through the violent actions on July 4&5 of 1989, but rather they had created a movement sparked by disgust and outrage that stood much stronger than the protests they aimed to initially put an end to.

  The story of the Tank Man should not only be shown on PBS, but in classrooms around the world.

  While Tiananmen Square was tragic, it led to a unification of the people in China that led to economic growth and reform. Would China be here today if it weren’t for Tiananmen Square? Perhaps this question should be posed as follows: Would China be here today if it weren’t for Tiananmen Square and the bravery of the Tank Man and his followers who dared to take a stand after those fateful events? My answer is as follows: Yes, I believe China would be here today and may still be functioning as a developing country, but I do not believe that it would be on the verge of being the dominant force within the global market.

• 22. Chris Fung  |  March 8th, 2011 at 11:58 pm

  I saw this on TV around the time I was about to graduate from undergrad and have to say it is a great documentary that I showed it to some of my Chinese friends who don’t know what happened just so they could be educated. I had known what went on in T-Square and the image of “Tank Man” growing up (because I was always interested in history) yet this video showed me the reasons leading up to the event that I can appreciate now. It was very daring what the students and people did in their protest for reform and I do believe that it was an inspiration for change across the communist controlled countries. There are many parallels to T-Square to what happened in Tunisia and Egypt with wanting reform; however what saved those two countries was the fact that the military stated they would not repeat what had happened in T-Square. And it is these Arab T-Squares (coincidentally in Egypt referring to Tahrir Square) that have inspired protest for change in the Middle East.

  But the consequences of this event presented China with a “deal with the devil.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) gave in to pressure for free market reform with the condition that no citizen question one party authority. It was this deal stemming from the events of June 4-5th, 1989 that saved the CCP. And the result is a rapidly growing China that has all of the luxuries that other countries enjoy. While there are plenty of problems that have arisen from this modernization, I no doubt believe that China is better off now than it would have had T-Square never occurred. My reason is that there would be no intense kick to the derriere of the Chinese government that the T-Square protest provided. China would still be here and a key player on the world market; however not with the size and strength its economy now enjoys and not at a pace that is has been growing at.

  However, just because the CCP appeased the people just enough, with open markets comes exposure to the outside world. Even though the government goes to great lengths to keep certain information out, I believe that democracy will eventually come to China because the country will eventually outgrow its old system of governance. Sure, democracy has its problems but I believe that if people have the will to make the change, they can (take example the Middle East). That’s where the CCP has its greatest fear – losing control of the population and the respect of the people. As Susan Shirk wrote in her book China: Fragile Superpower, the Chinese Government just bought time for itself with its reforms. Eventually, I think the people will get fed up being controlled and if the population ever mobilizes, it could spell disaster for the regime.

  As for that last bit, I did not know there were two parties in T-Square that night. I don’t know for sure whether it was to crush democratic reform or economic reform because I don’t have enough evidence to say for certain. My inclination would be that the government wanted to crush democratic reform because the top leadership had the most to lose if democratic reforms occurred.

• 23. Tyler Sereno  |  March 9th, 2011 at 8:30 am

  I learnd a lot about the Tiananmen Square massacre from the Tank Man video. It was a great video and I feel that it really captures the power behind this incident and the symbolism that the Tank Man stood for. It is amazing how much the Tank Man was a hero for the Chinese people. It took just one person to stand up to the Chinese government to unite all of the Chinese people. I do not believe that the Tank Man was never found. I think either government took him down or people did find out who he was but decided his message would be more powerful if he remained a mystery. It is incredible how the Chinese government has been able to keep the incident quiet in China. I could not believe that the four interviewed Chinese students had no idea who the Tank Man was.

  The massacre was a lot more brutal than I had imagined. It amazed me that the Chinese citizens tried to make peace with the soldiers before the massacre occurred. The soldiers were put in a tough spot. They did not want to harm the Chinese people because they came from the same place as them, but they were forced to clear the square. They just began open fire on the entire crowd and on the apartment buildings, killing men, women, and children. The bravey of these people to stand up to the government for what they believe in is truly amazing. The Chinese government began to turn around after this incident occurred, and I believe that China would not be where it is today if Tiananmen Square had not occurred.

• 24. Ben Raymond  |  March 11th, 2011 at 8:36 pm

  Great documentary! I love PBS and thought The Tank Man was very well done. Perhaps the most shocking part to me was when they showed the picture of the Tank Man to the Chinese college students and they had no idea what it was. I can’t imagine living in a country that is able to erase such tragic historical events that take place on their own soil just 20 years after they occur. For that to happen you obviously need a large cooperation from the people. I guess that is part of their “deal with the devil”. Regarding the deal, its tough to say whether the pros have outweighed the cons for China as a whole. I’d say they definitely have for the government. The economy is booming and the communist party is still in power. We’ll see if the economic freedom they have granted will lead to any sort of political revolution. For the people, I know that the urban dwellers have greatly benefited economically, but much of the rural population is still in poverty. And there are still many freedoms that are kept from Chinese citizens.The economic reform has been great for China but I think it will be a few more years until we truly find out if the pros of the 89 incident outweigh the cons.

  If I were to guess I would say that the People’s army was crushing the students political protest. The party would be more concerned with political reform than economic reform. They can still benefit from economic reform but political reform would mean their end.

  I think it is pretty clear that Tienanmen Square changed China forever. The economic reform has transformed the country. It may have occurred eventually but T Square definitely sped up the process. While I think that the economic reform has been great for the country, I believe that this taste of freedom will lead to a greater desire for widespread freedoms and China will continue to evolve.

• 25. JP Salazar  |  March 12th, 2011 at 4:45 pm

  What an amazing and moving piece. The first thing that struck me from this video was the level of commitment that the students and people of Beijing showed in the face of extreme opposition. It takes a certain something to be able to lay your life down for a cause. Bravery doesn’t even begin to describe it. The ability of one man to stand alone in front of a column of tanks in a situation where he most likely would be killed is an amazing feat. These people felt so strongly about being heard and fostering change that they were willing to die for it.
  I have been born into a time, place, and situation where I have do not feel that deep a level of commitment to anything, really. Some would see this as a blessing. It is usually extreme oppression that drives people so passionately to a cause, and I have luckily not had to experience this. I do know, though, that people like me are seen as soft. We have never really had to fight for anything; to care for anything. Every generation before my own had some great moment of change that defined them. WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam, the Cold War. There had always been an issue that united people and drove them to action. But where is our great change, our call to action? Either there are no issues that contentious to drive people to feel that deeply, or simply a majority of people in America don’t care anymore.
  While I recognized the image of tank man from some history class I had taken in high school, I had never seen any video footage from the incident. While watching the video, I couldn’t believe some of the stark images I saw. The level of brutality and terror exhibited by the PLA on its own citizens was atrocious. It is no wonder that the government decided to bring in people from all across China to quash the demonstrators. There is no way soldiers from that area would have shot into their own friends and families. I found it very interesting how the demonstration grew from just a single protest to a mass movement of wanting to be heard. I never knew there was more than one group protesting that night in Beijing.
  But seeing how this demonstration progressed sheds light on how China deals with domestic unrest. Chinese leaders know from their recent past that small protests can quickly escalate to large scale movements if they are not handled quickly. In fact, both of the recent ruling parties in China were a result of protestors overthrowing the government. It is a unified voice that Chinese leaders really fear. With that in mind, and without condoning it, I can see how the leadership would be quick to use force to stomp out any opposition or resistance within the country, no matter how peaceful the demonstrations may be.
  Because of the demonstrations, and the iconic gesture of tank man, an uneasy balance was struck between China’s leaders and its people. This “deal with the devil” and the unprecedented economic growth that followed would not have been possible without the terrible tragedy of the T. Square demonstrations. This event showed both sides just how high the risks were if they went down the road of no reconciliation. The leaders were nothing without the support of the people, but the leaders were not going to give up their power without a fight. In the end, the government has traded economic freedom and growth to the people for their support and government stability.
  The thing I found disturbing about this video is the effectiveness of the Chinese propaganda machine. While I still do not know all that there is to know about the T. Square incident, it is not part of my national history. I find it very off putting that a group of Chinese college students could not identify such an iconic and important part of their national history (recent at that). The T. Square incident is an integral part of what makes China the country it is today, and it is being hidden from the people whom it most affects.

• 26. J Vail  |  March 14th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

  One of the things I have learned through watching so many documentaries is that each historical event has a variety of different microcosms. I had learned about T Square previously in school, but it was only a couple pages in any textbook I read. Even though there was the ‘tank man’ picture in the books, and I could recognize that it was from T Square, I never would have thought prior to this video that there was any intrigue around this person. Furthermore, the actions by the government including the final statements at the end are almost hard to believe. I had originally thought that a protestor being ‘erased’ post-WWII was a concept reserved for science fiction.

  Even harder to believe is that there is still no resolution over who this person was, and that there has been so much effort put forth in trying to figure it out. At the time of the massacre it seemed more relevant to conceal the identity of this man, but I believe that the Chinese government does know who this man is and what happened to him definitively, and in transitioning into the future they should be more open and honest. At the very least, more Chinese natives should know about the events and the tank man; it was shocking when the young man looked at the ‘tank man’ photo and asked if it was a type of performance art.

  I am on the fence about whether the T Square incident was a catalyst or impediment to the economic boom that followed – I feel like other conditions had more of an effect on the economy than this massacre. If anything, I think it showed a low point that the Chinese as a people could only rise above afterwards.

• 27. Ashley Ogden  |  March 14th, 2011 at 9:57 pm

  They wanted to “shock, terrify, and awe”, well they accomplished that goal in me. As Kaiser Kuo suggests, you need to understand Chinese history in order to understand the Chinese people. Watching “Tank Man” gave me a little history lesson on one of the most influential and substantial events in Chinese history. It is not only significant to the Chinese people, but also the Chinese government. This event changed the relationship between China and its people forever. They each saw what the other side is capable of.

  This video was very insightful into the true events that occurred during this incident. Popular thought is that the people that were protesting were only the students, but the truth is that everyone was protesting except for the top leaders. Students started the protests but soon everyone was involved. It was also shocking that most of the action actually happened outside the square, not inside.

  During this event there was completely free reporting; it was referred to as the “virus of freedom”. Once people got a taste of it, they wanted more. This is why the government was so scared. The people got a taste of freedom and know they know what it feels like and what it can do. The government is very insecure, as Susan Shirk writes in her book “China, Fragile Superpower”, and so they took drastic measure to send their message across. Their message was that they are in charge and always will be. Watching this video and seeing how they used their forces against innocent people was absolutely shocking, and that is the feeling they were going for. The Chinese government wanted to “shock, terrify, and awe”. They did this by using weapons that were way beyond what they needed and shooting people in the back while they were running away. The government was embarrassed by their initial retreat; they were insecure. In reaction to that embarrassment, they went overboard. It was called a “true massacre” and a “one-sided pitch battle”.

  Some of the commentators discussed China A versus China B; a rural and developing China and a booming, thriving China. This theme was the main topic in Shirk’s book, so I have been fully aware of the fragility that China faces. The tank man is an iconic image of this incident and its an image that has been removed by the government since 1989. This is representative of how the government is still trying to control information within its country. I really enjoyed this video as it gave me good insight into the Chinese history and their worldview.

• 28. Omar Pradhan  |  March 18th, 2011 at 1:16 pm

  Personally, I feel as though Tank Man lives in the heart of each and every human being. His act of defiance was animated by forces deep from within the core of our shared human spirit. Each of us, I believe, longs to be valued, respected, given opportunities to grow, and connected to a larger, meaningful narrative. Tank man’s act of defiance was likely a product of some heightened awareness that he was missing out on the key ingredients to what we all hold in common as the “good life.” Throughout human history, individuals in power have experimented with forms of social organization that have sought to bridge the gap between the existing order and some aspirational yet achievable order…that delivers on greater human happiness. I sincerely believe that the leaders of China who resisted calls for Democratic reforms on that fateful day did so with the best of intentions for their fellow countrymen. Similarly, in our own country, many took a principled stance on succession (interestingly enough, as justified by Biblical support / non-repudiation of slavery) to join with the south in the civil war. Notwithstanding the long list of historical setbacks, the desire for human rights (liberty, justice, etc.) endures within us all and will not rest until it is actualize and safeguarded in some form of social contract. Thus, supposing the south had prevailed, I have no doubt that, eventually, either through a peaceful struggle or a second civil war, our shared human spirit would have animated us to arrive where we are today (recalling that all nations today reject slavery). Similarly, the 1989 “deal with the devil,” present day manifestations of oppression (e.g. the Great Firewall), and the WSJ piece on the generation gap are troubling yet, in context of human history and struggle, they are merely momentary manifestations of obstacles that will one day be overcome…

• 29. Vladimir  |  December 26th, 2011 at 8:22 pm

  I learned a lot from “The Tank Man video”. I heard about the Tiananmen Square massacre before and saw photos of the Tank Man, but I didn’t really know what it was about. Nor did I know how China today would be shaped by the events of 1989. I’m impressed with how the government was able to make a concession to the people without really giving away its power. If the government did nothing, there would likely have been more protests. Some groups represented by the protesters, the elites and the middle classes, have benefitted from the deal in which the government agreed to refrain from stopping economic reform as long as the people don’t challenge its one-party rule.

  I believe that Winston Churchill’s famous quote “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time” applies in China. I’m going to assume a loose definition of democratic form of government and not distinguish between a democracy and a republic here. I would not say that the China needs a democracy for short-term economic growth, as we’ve seen 10%+ year-over-year growth under the current government. If the government continues to support an environment for economic growth, does enough to alleviate inequality of China’s standard of living, and continue to convince the Chinese people that its rule is best for them, Chinese people will prefer the current government. However, with an increase in the number of Chinese accessing the internet, political criticism will grow. A challenge for the regime that the film mentions – How do you allow all the information necessary to keep a free market economy running while filtering what contradicts the party line and undermine authority? – will not be easy for the government to resolve.

  I think the CCP crushing both student protests – For democratic reform and for slower movement with market reforms - was an attack on democratic reform, rather than an attempt to keep market reforms moving along. Democratic reform was more consistent with the larger protests, and according to the video I gathered that the government was more concerned with their one-party rule than the rate of economic reform.

  It’s difficult to say whether China would be where it is today if Tiananmen Square had not happened. It did lead to the political-economic “deal with the devil” , but I don’t know if the Chinese government would have independently come to the conclusion that allowing greater economic freedom would benefit the country and government economically or convince the citizens to view the government more favorably.

  The film mentioned that the demonstrators demanded the right to tell the truth. They demonstrated against hardship, government corruption, and repression. This shows a contrast between how the government was viewed by the university students of the 1980s and students today. Life is better today for Chinese students. There is more opportunity today for those with a higher education and funding for higher education has increased. As Ruth Cherrington is quoted in the WSJ article, “They have a lot more economic incentive to stay with the present brand of patriotism.” The government has done a good job in shaping student opinion that freedom of expression can be destabilizing. Students don’t want to risk destabilizing a system that benefits them for a potentially better system.

• 30. Kevin K.  |  December 27th, 2011 at 4:40 pm

  Would China be where it is today without the 1989 events at Tiananmen Square? Without it, the so-called “deal with the devil” would have never occurred. It is almost an unnecessary question to ask for an outsider who recognizes these events and the brave actions of the “Tank Man.” However, students at one of China’s greatest universities cannot even recognize that famous scene depicted in newspapers across the globe — one highly lauded for its sheer power and representation of human rights.

  But then again, this is the deal with the devil that this post is referring to. China opened itself up economically — allowing for the new class of millionaires while also taking on the role of the world’s factory — but the caveat here is that it continued to shut itself out politically. This type of reform allowed for many economic positives, but the political and human rights changes have been much slower. I believe that this was a necessary evil for the country to move forward after the events of 1989.

  When asking if democracy is the key to China’s problems, the answer is a resounding maybe — if there is such a thing. Democracy is a nice goal, one that can help ensure the rights of many of its citizens, but one that may be too distant to envision for present-day China. These human rights that I speak of and that Tank Man stood for are basic equalities our US constitution protects. Freedoms we whole-heartedly believe in. You do not need democracy to preserve what we believe to be god-given rights, you just need a government that understands the pulse of the people, not one that attempts to muffle its heartbeat.

  When the chinese soldiers rode through Tiananmen Square, killing an unknown number in an unnecessary massacre, those soldiers representing the government were not specifically killing a democratic uprising or those in favor of market reform. They were only looking to keep the government in control — in essence to maintain their tenuous grasp on the billion-plus chinese people. If control is all they wanted, their iron-fisted technique was certainly effective. What is shocking is how American companies are profitting to this day off this — with Cisco, Yahoo, and Google the specific companies targeted in the documentary. I guess this sheds light on a new question: Where would China be today without the foreign influence the country so desperately avoids?

• 31. Grant  |  January 14th, 2012 at 5:06 pm

  To me, it is quite enlightening to know that the Chinese people made the “deal with the devil”, so to speak, that is to gain their economic freedom but allow the regime to continue. I am not judging them, but it was what had to happen on order for the people to move ahead. It was, of course, the pragmatic decision when compared to a life of oppression. Unfortunately, the tragedy was left unjustified.
  Clearly the leadership of the country has done quite a job at moving on after the incident. It is amazing, but not surprising that the university students do not recognize the picture. Why would they? It is to me, however, tragic that society as a whole isn’t given the chance to learn from its own mistakes. The pride that the regime has, the same pride that won’t allow it to admit its mistakes, will only allow it to be perpetuated, if it is not allowed to learn from those mistakes. Hopefully, China’s economic freedom will allow it to more fully develop, not only in economic terms, but in ways that allow the individual to thrive as well.
  Irregardless of the fact that Chinese culture is more communal than individual, I agree with Omar Pradan that the spirit of Tank Man lives in not only each Chinese person, but in each human being across this planet. There is something ingrained in our DNA that knows the rightness of being free from oppression. Freedom from oppression is not a western ideal. It is a human ideal. It is my hope that China will continue to realize that ideal.
  To answer the question whether the CCP was trying to crush the market reforms, I do not believe so. I do not think the leadership of the time could see the potential of market reforms. I think they were just scared of loosing control, and out of that fear, struck with strength to preserve the status quo. They saw the demonstrations as a threat to the status quo and felt that the elimination of the demonstrations was enough to maintain that status quo, hence the order to clear the square by 6:00 am. If they had been concerned with market reforms, it seems their tact would have been taken at the regulatory or market level, not pure, violent force.

• 32. Daniel Fleek  |  January 16th, 2012 at 4:47 pm

  That movie cleared up a lot of unknowns about China’s recent history. Before this, I had seen pictures of the Tank Man and knew it stood for a stand against their communist government, but didn’t really know the context and background behind it. I didn’t know that the Chinese government ordered their own army to shoot their own people. I was really surprised that the Chinese youth couldn’t even recognize the photo. In that way it made me realize that even in the modern age, China is still a communist country in that information is controlled by the government. This was shown in that they were only allowed to film in the nice looking factories. This makes me wonder if this is just another way for their government to control their image to the world. After finishing the movie, I couldn’t help but feel that maybe my previous beliefs on China stemmed from this kind of media. It makes me wonder if their is going to be another Tienanmen Square if the people become too unhappy with their government. And if it does, I wonder if it will be erased just as easily as the Chinese government erased the Tienanmen Square incident to this generation. I hope their government has learned from the Tienanmen square incident and decide to place more value into improving their people’s lives, especially the poor factory workers, to prevent such a uprising.

  It was shockingly horrible that a government could do such a thing to its own people like turning the lights off at Beijing and running people over with tanks. That’s why I am so amazed that there arn’t more Chinese people that are against their government. In that way, the Chinese government has succeeded in moving away from the Tienanmen Square incident. Even though their are those that suffer from certain policies, I believe that opening up their economic stance was vital because of their huge labor force. Now people could find work in the factories where they would get paid much more than if they remained farming. The question is how long are these people going to tolerate such low wages, hours, and overall lifestyle? As long as the government improves these conditions slowly, I think the workers will remain content. However, the power in China is the cheap labor so the government will need to figure out other ways to improve these workers lives like having them work less hours and have more vacation so that even more people could get employed. One thing I noticed throughout the movie was that at these factories, the food looked really good, which I think is plays a role in keeping workers more content. Watching those parts made me really excited to eat Chinese food in China.

• 33. Ashley Tyra  |  January 23rd, 2012 at 5:35 pm

  The events at Tiananman Square struck awe into the hearts of many Beijing citizens as well as the world. They expose the evil that can take place in any country, evil that can occur against anyone including its own citizens. China would not be where it is today if the massacre of Tiananman Square had not happened.

  These events enabled the Chinese Government to move forward with far less opposition than if the events had not occurred, thus allowing for the “deal with the devil.” This deal of overlooking political oppression made way for China’s economic miracle. Although the uprising that took place at Tiananman Square struck chords with all facets of the Chinese people, the government nearly erased the events from the memories of China’s youth today. When shown a picture of the iconic image of the “Tank Man,” one student of the University of Beijing responds, “Is this a joke? Did you make that image?” This goes to show that while China has succeeded economically, the government has achieved its goal of suppressing the flow of information and squashing any inclinations to rise up against the state.

  As far as the two protesting groups that were present at Tiananman Square, I don’t think the government’s goal at the time was to suppress these groups, however the results of the massacre ended up doing just that. In the end, I believe that Tiananman Square plays a crucial role in China’s history. Although forgotten by its young citizens, the effects of the massacre still resound through China today.

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