(Zhiwei Tong, PIX (c) Larry Catá Backer)
For 2012, this site introduced the thought of Zhiwei Tong (童之伟), one of the most innovative scholars of constitutional law in China. Professor Tong has been developing his thought in part in a essay site that was started in 2010. See, Larry Catá Backer, Introducing a New Essay Site on Chinese Law by Zhiwei Tong, Law at the End of the Day, Oct. 16, 2010. Professor Tong is on the faculty of law at East China University of Political Science and Law. He is the Chairman of the Constitution Branch of the Shanghai Law Society and the Vice Chairman of the Constitution Branch of the China Law Society. The Series continues.
The Zhiwei Tong (童之伟) Series focuses on translating some of Professor Tong's work on issues of criminal law and justice in China, matters that touch on core constitutional issues. Each of the posting will include an English translation from the original Chinese, the Chinese original and a link to the original essay site. Many of the essays will include annotations that may also be of interest. I hope those of you who are interested in Chinese legal issues will find these materials, hard to get in English, of use. I am grateful to my research assistants, YiYang Cao, Bo Wang, and Zhichao Yi for their able work in translating these essays.
For this contribution to the Zhiwei Tong (童之伟) Series /(Part XXXI) we translate (via Bo Wang):
--Totalitarian Personality and Bo Xilai's Political Failure (Aug. 24, 2013).
(Pix (c) Larry Catá Backer 2013)
Totalitarian Personality and Bo Xilai’s Political FailureTong Zhiwei 08-24-2013
I read the report of Bo Xilai’s trial in detail. Although this trial hasn’t been fully completed yet, two of the accusations seem to be confirmed based on the current laws and facts. As for accusation of misfeasance, I’m pretty sure that even without murder case of Ms. Gu Kailai, it is easy for accuser to get criminal evidence in Bo’s “Red Culture Movement and Crackdown on Organized Crime”. From a member of the Party Political Bureau of to being into jail, obviously this is a big failure in his life.
Born in a revolutionary pioneer’s family, with a good personal image, good at public speaking and social activities, he has very perfect experience in political life which could lead him to a first-class statesman. How can a great person like him become a prisoner from top leadership? The reasons are worth pondering. When talking about this, many people tend to find causal issues from institutional and social perspectives, which definitely make sense to a large degree. Nonetheless, I also think his tragic consequence has a lot to do with his personality. Specifically in Bo’s case, the most important internal cause is probably his totalitarian personality.
By the way, in the past the circle of social psychology talks more about authoritarian personality, rather than totalitarian personality. There is association and distinction between totalitarian personality and authoritarian personality. Totalitarian personality reaches the peak of authoritarian personality and it has paranoid psychological tendency. Totalitarian personality can hardly create any detriment to a society which has tradition of democracy and rule of law. However, in a society lacking of democracy and rule of law, a person with totalitarian personality who control public power may create a lot of dangers the society. Generally, the more power a totalitarian official gets, the greater danger it could make to the society and itself. The previous chairman Mao Zedong in Chinese Communist Party is a typical man with totalitarian personality. Compared to Mao, Bo’s totalitarian personality is actually more prominent. I think, it is his growing totalitarian personality with rising power and status that led to his failure.
From the characteristics of Bo’s personality, Mr. Bo’s failure is inevitable in today’s China, which is embodied in some happenstance, namely the murdering crime by his wife. We might as well take a look at the correlation of Bo’s failure and characteristics of totalitarian personality. One primary characteristic of totalitarian personality is intolerance of democracy, regardless of original meaning or extended meaning of democracy. Therefore, totalitarian personality would never enforce democracy; otherwise it will distort democracy into populism. A typical performance of Bo’s populism is he unconsciously torn the whole society into “people” and “non-people” and did whatever he wanted in the name of “people”. As seen by us, Mr. Bo was praising abstract concept of “people”, but at the same time he abused power and put many innocent citizens into Laojiao, detention, corporal torture, sentences to prisons or even taking away their private property.
A second characteristic of totalitarian personality is contempt for human rights, ignoring the most basic humanitarian requirements. In the movement of Chongqing’s “Crackdown on Organized Crime“, interrogation with corporal torture has infringed basic human rights which rarely happened in history. Bo’s connivance of human rights abuses could hardly happen in modern times after Reform and Open policy. The bad situations under his governance could not happen in most parts of China even in Cultural Revolution period.
The third characteristic of totalitarian personality is intolerance of different opinion or dissents. We’ve noticed that when Bo was in power in Chongqing, no one could challenge him or make any specific comments openly on his “Red Culture Movement and Crackdown on Organized Crimes”, otherwise, they might be put into jail or Laojiao. At that time in Chongqing, the freedom of public criticism on governmental organs or officials, which has been confirmed by the constitution, was completely deprived off by Mr. Bo and his subordinates.
The fourth characteristic of totalitarian personality is putting political struggle as its first priority. From a micro perspective, there is political struggle with colleagues, superiors; from a macro perspective, there is provoked political struggle between officials and civilians, also the rich and poor. Bo is well-known for his political struggle. When he was mayor, he did it with municipal party secretary; when he was governor he did it with provincial party secretary; when he became minister, he was also said to have political struggle with his direct superiors. The most terrible issue happened when he has taken power in Chongqing and become a member in the political bureau of the party. His words almost claimed Chongqing under former administration had been “evil old society” and further he indirectly set up new system, which was going against the central government. As for his taking advantages of people’s hostile sentiment to government and rich class, there are numerous evidences on this. As a matter of fact, what Bo has said and done in Chongqing was just new forms of modern mass class struggle.
The fifth characteristic of totalitarian personality is being keen on power implementation based on personal will. Totalitarian personality’s trump card is making people be occupied all day with its wills and ideas. Bo’s “Red Culture Movement” is a typical case in this regard. The implementation of his power will could be found in the every corner of social life, where he could exert influence through administrative system. The grown trees on the roads, so called “classical books to read” and places of press photographers in meeting all subject to his personal wills.
The sixth characteristic of totalitarian personality is excluding competitors to extreme by all means while promoting supportive followers unconditionally. The way Mr. Bo treated Jiang Weiping looked different from that how he did to Li Qiang and Wang Lijun. Actually it was the same rule used by Bo. Because of this, people who made comments or critiques on his “Red Culture Movement and Crackdown on Organized Crime” had worried a lot about the possibility of his taking power. Therefore, these people never hesitated to fight with him, even with sacrifice of their life. Bo was not wise enough and he antagonized some people who were in the middle to turn to his enemies. How can he make great achievement in his political life!
The seventh characteristic of totalitarian personality is anti-rule of law. Totalitarian governmental officials take advantages of any existing rules based on their own needs and they don’t respect the role of constitution and laws. I’m very familiar with how Mr. Bo behaved in other municipalities and provinces. But what he did in Chongqing was far beyond issues whether he was in compliance of law. He just transplanted his “precious experience” into Chongqing, distaining the rule of law. He is the most devastating local official since Reform and Open policy who has in long term damaged China’s rule of law.
The eighth characteristic of totalitarian personality is uncontrollable desire to power, especially the supreme power. In order to get power, officials of this personality tend to be busy all day and deviate from common sense and normal rules. In this regard, what Bo has done in Chongqing in those years has demonstrated quite well. Some of his behaviors could be considered madness, which were definitely not good for his goals in reality. His crazy words and behaviors were actually driven by his totalitarian personality, which were manifestation of his uncontrollable mentality.
The ninth totalitarian personality characteristics is losing bottom line in pursuit of power, which is the most terrifying to people. For example, people who have paid attention to the situations in Chongqing know the cases. Many offenders were actually not supposed to be sentenced to death according to laws. But in his movement “Crackdown on Organized Crime”, these people were forced to death penalty and immediate execution with Bo’s extrajudicial efforts, which was beyond the law regulations. The most precious thing is life. In order to save life, extrajudicial effort may be applicable, however the extrajudicial effort can never applied to kill people’s life. This is the highest morality of humanitarianism, but Mr. Bo unexpectedly has violated this principle.
The last characteristic of totalitarian personality is grandiose political ideology. Mr. Shi Fei’s article “Actor Bo Xilai” provides perfect demonstration of Bo’s behavior regarding to this characteristic and I don’t need to say too much here. His extraordinary grandiose mentality has developed to extreme and totally ignored surrounding people’s feeling, which incurred a lot of waste of manpower and money.
The ten characteristics of totalitarian personality, embodied by Mr. Bo Xilai should teach a good lesson for all Chinese politicians. In addition to this, I often think people with totalitarian personality and family backgrounds like Mr. Bo actually are not suitable to be government officials in modern China. If Mr. Bo devotes himself to academics or business, he might have a glorious life. Unfortunately, the culture of pursuit of government officials has deep roots in China, and “grandiose political mentality” induced him to embark on “politics career”, where he can never turn back.
极权人格与薄熙来之败
童之伟 2013-08-24
我看了这两天济南中院审理薄案的详细报道，虽然审理还在进行中，但看来薄熙来先生贪污受贿两个罪名，按现行法律已完全能够成立。至于滥用职权的罪名，我确信即使没有谷开来女士的谋杀案，检控方在唱红打黑中也能够找到卓卓有余的罪证。薄先生从执政党的一个政治局委员跌入牢狱，这不能不说是他人生的大失败。
薄熙来先生出身在革命元勋家庭，个人形象风流倜傥，做事举重若轻，能言善辩，且资历完整，当属中国一流治国理政的人才。但这样一个人，在当今中国为什么会从权力的顶层一头栽下来成为阶下之囚呢？其原因值得深思。当然，说到这里，人们往往习惯于从体制和社会两方面找原因，这样看问题当然很有道理。但同时我也觉得，薄先生个人独特的人格类型，也是造成这种悲剧的一个重要因素。具体说来，导致薄先生悲剧的最大内在因素，恐怕要归咎于他的极权人格。
顺便说一句，过去社会心理学界谈专制人格谈得比较多，没有讨论过极权人格。极权人格与专制人格有联系也有差别，可以把极权人格视为专制人格的登峰造极形式。极权人格是一种偏执的心理倾向，在富于民主法治传统的社会，它难以产生危害。但是，在缺乏民主法治传统的社会，如果一个人属于极权人格类型而又掌握公共权力，其对社会对自我的危害性就会释放出来。一般说来，这种人格类型官员所掌握的公权力愈大，其行为对社会对自我造成的危害就会愈烈。中共毛前主席是极权人格者的典型。与毛比较，薄先生的极权人格倾向似乎更为突出。我看，正是随着地位上升而危害不断增大的极权人格把薄先生引向了失败之途。
从其所属的人格类型看，薄先生在当今中国的失败是必然的，这种必然通过其夫人杀人的偶然事件体现出来。这里我们不妨看看极权人格的主要特征与薄熙来先生败落过程的具体关联：
极权人格的第一个特征，是完全容不得民主，不论是本来意义的民主还是引申意义的民主。所以，极权人格人士往往不讲民主则已，讲则必将其扭曲为民粹，以民粹取代民主。薄先生民粹主义的典型表现，是他不自觉地将社会撕裂为“老百姓”与非“老百姓”，动辄以“老百姓”代表的名义做自己想做的事。君不见，薄先生当权的重庆抽象地把“老百姓”捧上天，但却同时又随意把许多无辜公民一个个抓去劳教、关押、刑讯逼供、判刑，甚至还夺走他们的私有财产。
极权人格的第二个特征是蔑视基本人权，甚至漠视最起码人道要求。重庆打黑过程，刑讯逼供、践踏基本人权之严重，在历史上是罕见的。薄先生纵容的很多践踏人权的做法，不仅在改革开放新时期罕见，即使在文革时期中国多数地区亦没有那么严重。
极权人格的第三征，是容不得任何不同看法或异见。我们看到，薄先生当权时期的重庆，任何人不敢对薄先生和唱红打黑及其具体做法公开发表一点点批评意见，否则，他们就难免被劳教或由大牢伺候。在那时的重庆，公民言论出版自由对国家机关及其官员的批评权等宪法确认的基本权利，都被薄先生和他的亲信下属剥夺得干干净净。
极权人格的第四个特征，是在人际关系中斗字当头，小而言之与同事斗、上级斗，大而言之挑动官与民斗、穷与富斗。薄先生爱斗是出名的，当市长与市委书记斗，当省长与省委书记斗，当部长与直接领导关系据说也够呛。最要命的是他当政治局委员和重庆市委书记时不仅把前任领导任职时的重庆说成近乎“万恶旧社会”，还不断变相与中央分庭抗礼，另搞一套。至于薄先生利用民众仇官仇富的举动，那就更多了。薄先生在重庆的很多言行，其实就是在新的历史条件下搞以阶级斗争为纲。
极权人格的第五个特征，是醉心于推行权力意志。极权人格人士推行权力意志，最高的“境界”是让治下的国民、居民整天围着自己的想法转，薄主导的唱红运动属这方面的典型。推行权力意志还表现为把自己的意志通过行政系统贯彻到社会生活的细微末节中去，马路上种什么树、读“经典”读那些篇目、开会时摄影记者应该站什么位置，权力意志都要干涉。
极权人格的第六个特征乃逆我者亡，顺我者昌，睚眦必报，毫不含糊。薄先生从前对待姜维平，后来对待黎强、王立军，看起来处置好像截然不同，但其实所遵循的原则都是一样的。正因为如此，所以一度对他唱红、黑打发表过批评意见的那些人，都害怕他掌握更大权后会进行致命反噬，因而不惜豁出命来与他抗争。薄很不明智地把一些原本无意与其为敌的人逼成了他的敌人——这怎么能成就大事业！
极权人格的第七个特征，是反法治。极权人格官员对待一切规则，都以自己的需要为转移任意取舍，决不尊重宪法法律。薄熙来先生在其它地方怎么当官我不十分了解，但他在重庆对待宪法法律，已远非遵守或不遵守的问题，而是把抛开宪法法律办事当作了他贯彻权力意志的“宝贵经验”。他是中国改革开放以来破坏国家法制最严重最持久的地方大员。
极权人格的第八个特征，是对权力、特别是最高权力的渴求不可抑制。为了获得权力、尤其是最高权力，极权人格官员往往会背离一切常理、违反一切规则，且从早到晚忙乎，乐此不疲。这方面的情形，薄熙来先生在重庆那几年的活动，可算最好的实例。他的很多做法，在外人看来属于疯狂的举动，绝对不利于他实现自己的目标。但明眼人知道，他的那些言行乃是受自己特定人格类型驱使，内心冲动难以自我抑制的外在表现。
极权人格的第九个特征，是追逐权力行为常常失却底线。这是最可怕的，所有人都害怕。例如，关注重庆事态发展的人们都知道，重庆打黑中不少被打者依法原本罪不至死，但薄先生却通过法外努力，让他们被判了死刑并被立即执行。人最宝贵的是生命，为留人性命，可以谋求法外开恩，但绝对不可以谋求法外夺人性命——这是人道主义的最高道德命令，不意薄先生竟然违反了。
极权人格的第十个特征，是好大喜功。关于好大喜功，石扉客先生的文章《演员薄熙来》写得很到位，这里不赘述。非同一般的是，薄先生的好大喜功，发展到了既可以不惜劳民伤财、又可以不顾上下左右感受的程度。
极权人格的十个方面的特征及其在薄熙来先生身上的表现，值得中国的政治家们引为镜鉴。另外，我最近常常想，薄先生这样家庭背景的极权人格类型人士，其实最不适合做的事情就是在当代中国从政做官。薄先生如果做学术或经商办企业，或许会有一片光辉的一生。可惜，官本位文化在中国根深蒂固，“做大事”建功立业的追求诱使薄先生走上了“从政”这样一条难以折返的路。
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