Hu Jintao administration promoting "Six Why's" (六个为什么) w/ CCTV video

There comes new initiative by the Hu Jintao administration to answer everyone’s nagging questions about China’s political system--"Six Why's."

• For detail: CCTV news---解读“六个为什么”
• English translation: China Media Project---"Because forsaking Marxism means toppling the Great Wall" by David Bandurski
• For traditional version of this posting---click here
  
  

1. 为什么必须坚持马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位，而不能搞指导思想的多元化？
   Why must we uphold the guiding role of Marxism in the realm of ideology?
   
   马克思主义在中国的指导地位，不是个别人也不是一个党的主观意志决定的，而是历史的选择、人民的选择。我国革命、建设、改革的历史充分证明，没有马克思主义，就没有新中国；没有马克思主义及其在中国的新发展，就没有中国特色社会主义。在综合国力竞争日趋激烈的今天，西方敌对势力不愿意看到我国的发展壮大，从来没有停止过对我国进行“西化”、“分化”的图谋，我们与其进行渗透与反渗透、颠覆与反颠覆的斗争将是长期的、复杂的，有时甚至是很激烈的。在严峻的国际形势下，如果我们放弃马克思主义在意识形态领域的指导地位，搞指导思想的多元化，就是自陷困境、自毁长城。
   The guiding role of Marxism in China has not been decided by any certain person or by the will of one party, rather it is a choice and circumstance of history, and a choice rendered by the people. Our country’s process of revolution, building and reform has thoroughly shown that without Marxism there would be no new China; without Marxism and its renewed development in China, there would be no Socialism with Chinese characteristics. In these times, the struggle and competition for overall national strength grows fiercer by the day, hostile forces in the West refuse to stomach our nation’s development and strengthening, and as they have never ceased to carry out a strategy of “Westernization” toward us, and a conspiracy of “separatism” . . . In these serious international circumstances, if we were to give up the guiding role of Marxism in the sphere of ideology and pursue a path of pluralistic guiding ideologies, this would mean ensnaring ourselves and tearing down our own defenses [lit: “tear down the Great Wall on our own”].
   
   
   
2. 为什么只有社会主义才能救中国，只有中国特色社会主义才能发展中国，而不能搞民主社会主义和资本主义？
   Why is it that only socialism can save China, that only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China, and why can’t we take the path of democratic socialism and capitalism?
   
   中国特色社会主义，不是走封闭僵化老路或改旗易帜邪路的社会主义，而是锐意改革、着力发展、坚持开放、以人为本、促进和谐的社会主义，是顺应时代潮流、走在时代前列的客观要求，这是其时代特色。30年来，正是中国特色社会主义，使中华民族走向现代化、走向世界、走向未来，成功实现了从高度集中的计划经济体制到充满活力的社会主义市场经济体制、从封闭半封闭到全方位开放的伟大历史转折，中华大地面貌焕然一新；正是中国特色社会主义，使13亿中国人民大踏步赶上时代潮流，稳定地走上了富裕安康的广阔道路，确保了人民安居乐业、社会安定有序、国家长治久安。
   Socialism with Chinese characteristics is not the old path of being closed up and rigid, nor is it the old wicked socialism under a new banner. It is a socialism marked by a determination to seek reform, a striving toward development, perseverance on the path of openness, putting the people first and promoting harmony . . . Over the last 30 years, it has been socialism with Chinese characteristics that has propelled the Chinese people toward modernization, moved them closer to the world and into the future, successfully achieving the transition from a highly centralized planned economic model to a socialist market economy full of energy and vitality.
   
   
   
3. 为什么必须坚持人民代表大会制度，而不能搞“三权分立”？
   Why must we continue with the system of people’s congresses, and why can’t we practice “separation of powers”?
   
   世界上许多国家的历史告诉我们，发展民主只能走自己的道路，脱离本国实际，脱离国情，脱离经济社会发展的客观要求，盲目照搬别国模式，不但实现不了人民发展民主的愿望，反而会给人民利益和经济社会发展造成损失甚至灾难。我们要积极借鉴人类社会创造的文明成果包括政治文明的有益成果，但绝不照搬西方那一套，绝不搞多党轮流执政、“三权分立”、两院制。要认清资产阶级民主固有的弊端和虚伪性，认清社会主义民主与资本主义民主的本质区别，切不可照搬照抄外国政治制度的模式。
   The history of many countries in the world teaches us that in developing democracy we can only take our own paths. If we depart from the facts and circumstances of our own country, if we disregard the objective demands of social and economic development, if we blindly copy the systems of other nations, not only will we not achieve the peoples’ hopes of developing democracy, we will damage their interests and for the development of the economy and society, or even court disaster.
   
   
   
4. 为什么必须坚持中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度，而不能搞西方的多党制？
   Why must we persist in the system of cooperation and consultation of various parties with the CCP, and why can we not the Western multi-party system?
   
   政党是当代世界绝大多数国家的政治发动机，在国家政治生活中发挥着重要作用。采用适合国情、国家性质和社会发展状况的政党制度，是一个国家发展进步的重要条件。中国共产党领导的多党合作和政治协商制度，是我们党把马克思主义政党学说和统一战线理论与中国具体实际相结合的伟大创造，是我们党同各民主党派、无党派人士长期团结奋斗的重大理论成果和实践成果，具有历史的必然性、伟大的独创性和巨大的优越性。继续推进中国特色社会主义现代化事业，必须坚定不移地走中国特色社会主义政治发展道路，把这一基本制度坚持好、完善好、落实好，而绝不能搞西方的多党制。
   Political parties are the engines of politics in the vast majority of countries in the world today, and they have an important role in political life. Employing a political party system that suits the circumstances and features of a nation, and which accommodates its state of social development, is an important precondition of that nation’s development and progress. The system of cooperation and consultation of the CCP with various political parties is a great creation in which our party combined Marxist theories of political parties with the theory of the united front as suited realities in China . . . The system is a historical necessity, and it is both greatly original and highly superior.
   
   
   
5. 为什么必须坚持以公有制为主体、多种所有制经济共同发展的基本经济制度，而不能搞私有化或"纯而又纯"的公有制？
   Why must we persist in a public ownership system in which various types of economic ownership systems co-exist? Why can’t we carry out privatization or a “more pure” form of public ownership?
   
   坚持公有制为主体，既是我国社会主义经济制度的要求和特点，也是我国经济运行的需要和特点。我国人口多、底子薄，发展很不平衡，我们在推进改革开放和社会主义现代化建设中所肩负任务的艰巨性和繁重性世所罕见。如果社会主义公有制被否定了，搞了私有化，社会主义制度也就不存在了，我们也就丧失了团结带领全国人民克服各种艰难险阻、解放和发展生产力、走向共同富裕的基础。当然，我国不搞私有化，应以实事求是地认识和评价社会主义公有制的作用和绩效为前提，以搞好搞活公有制经济为前提，也就是需要通过深化改革，让社会主义公有制的优越性充分显示出来。
   Persisting in a system of public ownership is a demand and special characteristic of our nation’s socialist economic system, and it meets with the needs and special features of the operation of our national economy. Ours is a populous nation with a weak economic basis and very unequal development. The hardships facing us in our task of advancing economic reforms and socialist modernization are of a seriousness such as the world has never before seen. If the socialist system of public ownership is overturned and we pursue privatization, then the socialist system will no longer exist, and we will then forfeit our basis for leading the people through various obstacles and challenges, for liberating and developing productive forces, and for moving toward common prosperity.
   
   
   
6. 为什么要坚持改革开放不动摇，而不能走回头路？
   Why must we persist in our economic reform policies? Why can’t we turn back?
   
   改革开放是历史的必然选择。实践证明改革开放的方向和道路是完全正确的。改革开放过去、现在和未来始终是发展中国特色社会主义、实现中华民族伟大复兴的必由之路。因此，在新的更加艰巨繁重的任务、新的更加错综复杂的环境面前，我们必须坚定信念：坚决走充满生机活力的新路，决不走实践证明是封闭僵化的老路，也决不走那种改旗易帜、放弃共产党领导、放弃社会主义的邪路。惟有坚持改革开放的必由之路，始终做到不动摇、不懈怠、不折腾，我们才能引领中国特色社会主义伟大事业的航船乘风破浪，驶向更加光辉的未来。在这个极为重要的问题上，全党要坚定不移，全国人民也要坚定不移。
   Economic reform and opening is a necessary historical choice. Our experience has shown that the path and direction of economic reform is entirely correct. The past, present and future of economic reforms lie in the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and in the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people.