When philosophy meets reality, reality wins. After all, ideological purity doesn't mean much sitting in a mud hut. That's where China found itself in 1970, forcing her to loosen the screws and institute economic freedoms. But doing the right thing for the wrong reason still ends in disaster.
For every day of forced admittance of reality, a growing seething vows a misguided vengeance. In the end, of course, the holders of that seething are hopelessly doomed.
In Reality's slow triumph over professed communism in the following decades, China unleashed a Hokusai great wave of economic prosperity. Many tried to ride that wave including Desmond Shum, who did it with a rare skill but also having a genuine desire to bring improvement to greater China.
Politics mixed with anything is bad. Truth suffers no religion. When Napoleon was on the rise, he'd often send loot from his victories to his superiors to assuage jealousy. That political exercise was soon trumped by his military prowess. But in China, it's almost all politics that determines an outcome with nary a safe harbor to be found.
With Red Roulette, Shum's clear and honest voice does a stalwart job recounting his childhood, his education of China and the world, and the inner workings of the Communist Party. It's his honesty that is so refreshing even though he knows that opens him up to cheap shots and enmity from those not so enamored with the truth.
The economic rise was grassroots in its origin but with the 2008 crisis, a chance for long sought vengeance came about. The Party started to centralize power, sending minions across the country to take power from the locals. Many officials used this as stepping stones to further their career oblivious to any long-lasting effects.
It reminded me of careerists at Home Depot when I worked there who moved from department to department making ill-advised choices while padding their resume.
When it comes to power, the story is the same wherever you go.
Like China, America is also collapsing in on itself in pursuit of authoritarian rule. After all, when one has ill intentions in mind, one seeks endless security in power's illusion. It will be a beautiful day when the world sees the last of these people. And the best part is, it will be they who take themselves out, thinking that will save them.
As for Shum, he has already won and he will certainly see that day. He has come to realize as Gandhi said, "There is no god higher than truth."
