Is the Country Mine, or Is It in Charge of Me? A Discussion on Bo Guagua's Theory of National Decision-Making

Bo Xila's complexion was dark and ashen, while his son Bo Guagua's gaze was fierce and intimidating.

[People News] A plane carries the lives of hundreds of passengers. At an altitude of ten thousand meters, a choice made in just a few minutes often reflects the true nature of a society more than official rhetoric.

Some individuals rush forward without hesitation, while others choose to remain silent to protect themselves. Some feel a moral obligation to act, while others instinctively think, 'Don't cause trouble; prioritize your own safety.'

This behavior is not simply a matter of who is inherently brave or timid. It is the result of decades of social development that has nurtured these responses.

Recently, the incident involving Dubai Airlines, where a few minutes of disruption led to a plane crash, stands in stark contrast to the earlier Eastern Airlines MU5735 crash in Guangxi, China. The former was a gripping tale of heroism, where passengers united to subdue an assailant, while the latter was characterized by a long silence and an unresolved mystery following the crash. Why do ordinary people in different societies respond so differently in times of crisis?

Where can we find the answer? It lies not only in the cockpit and the small black box but also on the land beneath the ten thousand meters, shaped by a country's long-standing systems, civilization, education, culture, and civic awareness.

In times of crisis, individuals clearly define the boundaries of their social system and civilized nation. In the Dubai Airlines incident, the co-pilot suddenly attacked the captain, causing the plane to lose control. In this critical moment, some passengers rushed into the cockpit, some subdued the assailant, some provided first aid to the captain, and others took over to stabilize the falling aircraft.

All passengers in the cabin emerged unscathed, and in the end, everyone survived. What is most poignant is not only the preciousness of life and the fortunate outcome, but also the timely reactions and value judgments of those ordinary passengers: this is a matter of life and death for everyone, this is a public safety crisis, and I cannot remain indifferent, nor can I sit back and do nothing!

This kind of reaction requires not just courage and wisdom, but a genuine long-term civic consciousness and independent will. This is far beyond what can be achieved by merely shouting revolutionary slogans, and it cannot be compared to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) tactics of promoting revolutionary zeal while suppressing dissent, or the bravado of the Cultural Revolution. Such awareness is not built on momentary impulses, opportunism, or opportunistic maneuvering, but is cultivated over time through an education system that emphasizes inherent human rights, respect for life, and independent thinking.

Many Chinese people enjoy discussing 'national character' at length. The national character instilled by the CCP is to shout and threaten externally while bowing and submitting internally, demanding absolute obedience to the CCP. If a society constantly tells you from a young age: do not ask too many questions, do not challenge authority, especially do not challenge leaders, do not interfere in others' affairs, do not create trouble for yourself, and so forth. Over time, individuals will develop a superficial sense of security while feeling deeply fearful inside, leading to a tendency to speak less, do less, take on less responsibility, and remain on the sidelines, prioritizing self-preservation.

The behavior of Israelis on Dubai Airlines flights starkly contrasts with the recent situation of passengers on China Eastern Airlines flights. On the Eastern Airlines flight, a man forced a flight attendant to kneel, bullying her and refusing to back down, while the surrounding passengers shockingly did not intervene. This man's excessive actions have gone beyond the realm of individual rights protection, creating mental stress and potential risks for all passengers on board. The hysteria and emotional volatility in the cabin can easily escalate into physical confrontations or lead to more serious consequences. There are rumors online suggesting that this man may be the son of an official, as such arrogance and rudeness would be unlikely otherwise.

In regions under the control of the Chinese Communist Party, bravery often comes at a steep price. When highlighting issues can lead to isolation, expressing differing opinions may attract scrutiny, and challenging authority can bring trouble, the most rational choice for ordinary people is often to remain silent and observe, treating it as someone else's problem. Consequently, a perverse phenomenon that contradicts human nature gradually emerges: people often bully the weak, while they frequently choose silence in the face of power.

Israel is a unique nation. With a small population and limited territory, it has long lived under the pressure of national security challenges. However, Israelis view their government not as a distant master but as a public management and service institution built collectively by citizens. There is a strong sense of civic awareness and democratic freedom among the populace. This environment fosters a heightened sense of communal responsibility: the country belongs to the people, and they have a duty to protect it.

In this framework, the people are the creators of the nation, the government exists to serve the people, the people hold power accountable, and the law serves to limit that power. In stark contrast, in China, the authoritarian logic of the Communist Party of China (Zhōnggòng) underpins the functioning of society, where the state is often prioritized over the individual, and the party supersedes the state. Individuals are expected to submit to the organization, and rules are frequently dictated by those in power.

The real danger in a society lies not in who possesses power and who does not, but in the complete lack of constraints on that power. Those who wield power can act without accountability, indulge in excess, issue commands with impunity, and disregard human life, even to the extent of taking lives. If a person grows up witnessing that connections can facilitate success, that a privileged background can allow one to flout rules, and that power can alter outcomes, they receive a skewed message: rules are not universal; they are crafted for the powerless.

One of the key advancements in modern civilized society is the acknowledgment that errors must be identified, issues must be investigated, and accountability must be enforced. This is particularly relevant in the context of aviation accidents—each incident serves as a lesson learned at the cost of lives. If the underlying causes remain unclear, the same tragedy could easily recur.

In mature Western societies, the response to disaster events typically prioritizes the protection of the public and vulnerable groups, ensures timely communication of information to the public, conducts post-event analyses to understand the causes, and subsequently enhances systems to prevent future occurrences. In stark contrast, the logic of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) operates differently: when an incident occurs, it swiftly identifies the key players involved, leading to a two-tier differentiation in social intervention consciousness. In cases involving powerful offenders, there is often indifference or even complicity; however, when ordinary individuals are victimized, the system first aims to suppress public sentiment before addressing the concerns of those who raise issues, without ever resolving the underlying problems.

The Chinese populace is not lacking in capability or courage. Historically, there has always been a presence of individuals willing to take on responsibilities. The issue arises from the fact that, over decades of CCP governance, ordinary citizens have gradually developed a mindset characterized by timidity, fear of conflict, and cautious behavior. When a society consistently reinforces obedience, hierarchy, authority, and collective pressure, individual independence tends to be stifled. A healthy society must foster a spirit of criticism, a sense of contractual obligation, legal awareness, and public responsibility. If education places greater emphasis on obedience, compliance, avoiding mistakes, and refraining from challenging the status quo, the individuals it produces are more likely to become true weaklings and the uninformed, rather than wise and responsible citizens.

At present, the Chinese populace is easily stirred by patriotism. There are at least two forms of 'patriotism' in the world. One is the CCP-style patriotism, where the people are subservient to the state, required to obey the organization, the state, authority, and the powerful; this is what they call patriotism. The other is genuine patriotism, where the state belongs to the people, who must oversee and critique it, and have the power to impeach leaders and choose their representatives. The former represents a coerced form of patriotism, where citizens can only express love for their country in ways dictated by the CCP, while the latter is a democratic form of patriotism, where each person has a vote, and the state serves the people, with the family coming after the nation.

The most valuable aspect of a society has never been its skyscrapers, GDP, or military might, but rather individuals with independent character and inviolable dignity, along with a comprehensive cultural legacy and institutional framework that nurtures such individuals. Those who create the rules will also adhere to them, and those who believe in the rules will be willing to take responsibility. If a nation has a significant number of such citizens, it will continuously adapt and progress, even in the face of challenges. Conversely, if a society fosters fear, silence, and dependency, it may appear strong on the surface, but it can easily collapse over a minor incident. In today's CCP society, the populace is struggling to survive, public discontent is rising, and loyalty is being demanded everywhere; society is on the verge of collapse.

The plane crash in Dubai and the Eastern Airlines incident serve as windows to view different institutional landscapes. What truly warrants attention is the contrasting social institutional cultures and structures that underpin them. History will ultimately demonstrate that a genuinely powerful nation is not one that instills fear in its citizens, but one for which its citizens are willing to take responsibility.

Recently, Bo Guagua stated on social media, 'Without a powerful motherland, you are nothing.' This reflects a typical form of national determinism, resembling a Nazi-style patriotic slogan and a declaration of political loyalty.

For those living in that country, the strength of the 'motherland' can easily lead to being labeled as: the five black categories, landlords, rightists, counter-revolutionaries, various undesirable elements, advocates for Hong Kong independence, Tibetan independence, Xinjiang independence, Taiwanese independence, spies, secret agents, dissidents, petitioners, malicious wage claimants, individuals without identification, hostile elements, foreign forces, anti-China forces, traitors, inciters of subversion, troublemakers, national traitors, Japanese enthusiasts, refined beauty, extreme religious fanatics, mobs, untrustworthy individuals, rumor spreaders, idle personnel, and low-end population...

Without a powerful motherland, I truly am nothing.

(First published by the People News) △