Tame power with justice

Li Yali, the police chief of Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, has been suspended from his job and is being investigated by the disciplinary committee for allegedly abusing his power to cover up a drunk-driving case involving his son, says an article in China Business News. Excerpts:

His son allegedly attacked a policeman who stopped him while he was driving.

A sense of entitlement seems to have ruined father and son. The young man's arrogant and domineering style must have been brewing for a long time under the influence of his powerful father.

It's not known if Li Yali has abused his power. But it is certain that he did not set a good model for his son to begin with, an irony for a police chief, whose job is to keep public security and order.

Power ruins people in many ways. If unchecked, absolute power always leads to graft and corruption.

Powerful people believe that they are above the others, even above the law. Their audacity and conceit originates from the benefits that they enjoy from abusing their power. Gradually, they become fearless.

This is an infectious syndrome, which spreads through family and social connections. Even people who have good relations with the powerful tend to have a stronger sense of privilege compared with common citizens. They develop an illusion that their almighty friends or parents can take care of them when necessary.

The existence of a group of privileged people is an insult to the laws and social order.

If the government and judicial authorities cannot safeguard the law's dignity by eliminating that group, the public will lose their confidence not only in the officials but also in the system.

This is a vicious cycle, because people's greediness propels them up the power ladder. Before reaching the top, they are looked down on, bullied or abused by their superiors. The longing for power finally translates into an obsession with power, and a compulsive sense of entitlement. For these people, the only way to prove one's power and superiority is not by making a bigger contribution to society, but to exercise one's power and privilege in front of the underlings.

In such an environment, the rule of power replaces the rule of law. A civilized and modern society should be based on the principles of justice and fairness, which must be guaranteed by laws, supervision, transparency, and balance of powers. These factors only function well together. The absence of any one of them will lead to a less-than-ideal society.

The modernity of a society is not decided by its technology level but by the maturity of its system. It's absolutely necessary for China's State leaders to face up to the problem in the governance system. The excessive concentration of power should be tackled by playing up the roles of the factors mentioned before. There is still a long way to go for China in this aspect. Yet, finding the right direction is a good beginning for the long journey.