CAMBRIDGE, England -- There is a long tradition in China of requiring the people to study the words of their political leaders. In the late 17th century, the whole population of China was required to come together in small groups twice a month to study and recite the "16 moral maxims" published by the emperor.
In the early 18th century, his son went one better and required the entire population to read, study and be examined on a massive book he published listing criticisms against himself and his rebuttals of them. The book was called "Awakening from Delusion"; the awakening being on the part of the critics who read the emperor's rebuttals.
The leaders of communist China have continued with this imperial tradition. Everyone knows about Mao Zedong's little red book and how all work units in China had to labor through the endless thoughts of Deng Xiaoping. Now President Jiang Zemin is getting into the act.