Can western superiorists possibly learn a little something from Communist China?

8 Do's and Don'ts

• Love the motherland, do not harm it.
• Serve, don't disserve the people.
• Uphold science, don't be ignorant and unenlightened.
• Work hard, don't be lazy.
• Be united and help each other, don't benefit at the expense of others.
• Be honest, not profit-mongering.
• Be disciplined and law-abiding, not chaotic and lawless.
• Know plain living and hard struggle, do not wallow in luxuries.

...all across China, the Communist Party propaganda apparatus has been spreading the word [see poster, left] from President Hu Jintao: Do good and avoid evil.

Hu's fatherly advice, in the form of eight do's and don'ts, was issued two weeks ago as an antidote to the corruption and cynicism spreading across China, a result of the often raw capitalism that has emerged during 25 years of dramatic economic change. Although his aphorisms may sound simplistic to Western ears -- "Work hard, don't be lazy" and "Be honest, not profit-mongering" -- Chinese analysts said they are a response to a deep-seated desire among people here for a moral compass to guide them through the unsettling transformation.

Ha! As if. You'll never convince the slavish 'free market' advocates here to moderate their lust for unmoderated greed, profit and wealth.

And what about that #3??? -- Uphold science, don't be ignorant and unenlightened. Whoops. Too late. That would never work here. Apparently we're on par with Afghanistan in that department.

From a story in the Washington Post entitled "Eight-Step Program For What Ails China: President Reacts to Rising Greed, Cynicism" by Edward Cody.

Footnote: moved up to its very own entry.