Strong Military Forum | Even When You 'Have the Means,' You Must Still 'Refuse to Indulge'

Even When You 'Have the Means,' You Must Still 'Refuse to Indulge'

■ Wu Xinglong

Comrade Mao Zedong once said: "When conditions don't allow for indulgence, it is easy not to indulge. When the economy has developed and conditions do allow for indulgence, yet one still restrains oneself and refuses to indulge—that is hard to do. Communists must do precisely what is hard to do." Arduous struggle and the veneration of frugality over extravagance were Mao Zedong's consistent positions, and they are also the political character and life habits that Communists must uphold for their entire lives.

In the dictionary of Communists, plain and simple living is not merely an attitude toward life but a spiritual pursuit. Comrade Zhou Enlai's undergarments and bedding were mended when worn through, worn through again and mended again, often patch upon patch. Comrade Zhu De educated his children that "a revolutionary's legacy is not money but the revolutionary spirit." Comrade Liu Yalou had the deepest contempt for "the vulgar style of those who spin exclusively around the pursuit of perquisites and privileges." The older generation of revolutionaries "refused to indulge" in their personal lives while "refusing to settle" in their work, tempering arduous struggle and the veneration of frugality as a form of Party-character cultivation (党性修养), and at all times maintaining an unwavering pursuit of lofty ideals. This is determined by the purpose and nature of our Party, and it is also the political character (政治本色) that Party members and revolutionary soldiers must uphold.

Today, our material living conditions have improved enormously, and there is no need to live the bitter life of tattered clothing and empty stomachs as our revolutionary predecessors did. Yet how to properly handle the relationship between "indulging" and "refusing to indulge" remains a question of the times that every Party member and cadre must confront directly. One must at all times maintain a clear understanding that "refusing to indulge" is a form of plain working style, a spiritual realm, a quality of life, and a pursuit of values. It embodies the true character of arduous struggle and reflects the original aspiration (初心) of sharing hardship and joy with officers and soldiers alike.

Times change, but glorious traditions must not be abandoned—abandon them and the soul is lost; fine conduct must not change—let it change and the essence is corrupted. In reality, some Party member cadres, after their economic circumstances improved, have gradually relaxed their demands on themselves, reasoning that "the masses are living well now, so there is no need to feign hardship," and have begun to compare and compete over housing, vehicle use, and other perquisites, even seeking special treatment. "Extravagance is the beginning of peril and the gradual path to ruin." Those Party member cadres who have gone from violating discipline to violating the law have, in most cases, started down that path by pursuing material enjoyment and abandoning their original character and aspiration.

To demand of oneself that one "refuse to indulge," the key is to establish correct views on perquisites, on interests, and on struggle, and to treat frugality and plain living—and the determined rejection of extravagance—as the "whetstone" for tempering Party character. "The father of Chinese spaceflight," Qian Xuesen, lived simply: plain food and simple dress in daily life, and decades spent in an aging residential building. "Missile Commander" Yang Yegong, when visiting subordinate units, explicitly put forward the requirement to "prohibit alcohol, reduce dishes, and minimize accompanying personnel," and when conducting field reconnaissance of launch positions, sometimes subsisted on instant noodles to stave off hunger.

Through hardship and difficulty, jade is formed. Without experiencing suffering, it is difficult to achieve true brilliance. The journey of building a strong military is long and the road is obstructed. For Party member cadres, times change, environments change, and conditions change—but ideals and convictions must not fade, and the sense of purpose must not be lost. One must take the older generation of revolutionaries as a model, put perquisites aside and put work first, calculate less on personal interests and take on more responsibility for getting things done and building something, remain ever vigilant against hedonism (享乐主义) and the wind of extravagance (奢靡之风), and continuously advance the cause of building a strong military in the new era.

(Author's unit: Army Research Institute)