CHINA AND IT’S “REEDUCATION CAMPS”. DOES ANYONE REALLY CARE?

Back in the early 80s, I was on leave and doing one of the things I miss the most now. I was just sitting in my parent’s Livingroom, watching the local news when a story came on that had to do something with Public Education. Now, my Mother didn’t have much to say about daily issues, at least not anymore at that point in time, but this story somehow hit a nerve. When the story was over, her words sounded like we had just jumped back into the early 70s.  I can’t remember what she said exactly, but a theme she had been hard over on was her point. The Public Education System had become the “Reeducation Camps” of the federal government. For years, my well-educated Mother had firmly believed the, as she called it, “Indoctrination” process into a Liberal, Passivist mindset had been underway and Public Schools were the center pieces of the process. To a woman who grew up on reading, writing and Arithmetic, wrapped in  US history, what the Public Schools were driving towards was nothing short of social engineering. When I tell you she was as staunch believer in the federal government staying out of the education process, I mean she was “Steadfast”! I remember how upset she was with that news story and that was in the 80s!

By the time the 90s came around and her Grandson was in High School, I made it a point to not even bring up the topic of Public Education. Yes, she was an old country girl and yes she believed the purpose of Public Education had been highjacked by the federal government and I am convinced she felt that way up until the day she died. Yes, my Mother was a champion of State’s Rights, especially when it came to education.

So, why do I bring this up now? Why mention my Mother’s opinion of the Liberal Public Education System in the US, and if you believe it’s not based on Liberal concepts now, you inhale  a different atmosphere than me. Simple, one of the arguments I’ve head when the topic of China’s “Reeducation Camps” comes up, is this notion the US is no different. The US has been in the process of “Reeducating” it’s people for over 40 yrs now. The government has driven God out of public schools. The Government has changed the names of Holidays to meet the needs of other minority groups. The government has forced “revisionist history” on the youth of the nation. Yes, there is and has been an argument, the US Government has been running its own version of “Reeducation Camps” for years. Does that sound crazy? Well, that depends on who you talk to. So, is there a difference? Now that China has come out and openly admitted their process, is there really any difference? You bet  there is!

China’s Way of Doing Business:

            The Uighur people of China present a threat to the Communist government how? Religion and the freedom of that Religion. Where are those people located? Right smackdab in the middle of the Belt and Road initiative. Does the continued spread of Religion pose an issue for the future of the Communist Party? Yes, but the 5-meter target happens to be the Uighur people. All other forms of religious threat can be addressed at a later date.

            In the US, if your kid doesn’t show up to school, up to a certain age, what happens? Yep, the “government” get’s involved. But………..can you place your child in a different institution? Yes. Can you home school your kids? Yes, and that is where the weak comparison really starts to fall apart. If you are a Uighur in China, what can land you in a “Reeducation Camp”? First and foremost, if you’re a Muslim, you are under the watchful eye of the Dragon. What is the Probable Cause for apprehending someone in China? Okay, I know, that was a trick question. Like the Chinese government needs a reason to apprehend someone😊. Once you are placed in one of these Reeducation Camps, are you free to go home that night after your “education” for that day? What do you think? Okay. I could go on and on, but let’s move on to  the points that really matter.

The Future:

            It’s a mindset. It’s the Chinese version of Communism that is noteworthy here. Conform or go to a “Camp”, such a softer way of saying Prison. Wait…. American Indians….Reservations….nope….let’s not go there.  1.5 BILLION people. How in the world do you provide for and more importantly, govern 1.5 BILLION people? Can China be just like the US and the West? Can the standards of equality truly exist in a nation of 1.5 Billion? Is the government of 1.5 Billion going to have to take actions that are different than in the West? Is any of that justification for “Reeducating” Muslims in China? It’s never been and never will be a perfect world. At some point the actions of the Chinese will ether become unacceptable to the world or the world will just continue to be addicted to Chinese goods and loans. Here’s the problem with the course of action. Who is next? If the Uighur’s are forced into the “ Collective”. If they are forced to only quietly practice their religion, then what? By the way, it’s not the quiet ones the Chinese Government worries about. It’s the “Radical” ones, but then again, what is the definition of “Radical”? The Uighur will not be the only bump in the road the Chinese Government will face as it’s Emperor dreams of world dominance. Nope, the Uighur are not even the first target that has been placed on this Reeducation list. Just go asked the people of Mongolia. There are unpaved sections of the Belt and Road Initiative and it seems, Reeducating those unpaved sections is the current plan.  A daunting task to say the least. I wonder. Just how many Reeducation Camps can China build and how many nonconformists can they march into them?