“Contemporaries have to modify and adjust history so it serves modern agendas.” So states scholar Xiao Ming in his book, The Cultural Economy of Falun Gong in China: A Rhetorical Perspective. The use of language to construct tone and mood remains not only important in the field of English and literature, but affects other fields such as history as well. The specific word choice of various pieces in both news media as well as the academic field aid the reader in passing judgement or constructing a certain mood and bias towards or against the topic being discussed, as is the case with the coverage of Falun Gong in the West. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a self-described spiritual-and-meditative movement to emerge during China’s qigong
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Falun Gong, according to Penny, would rather its figure “to be greater than sixty-three million,” since that number was the “generally accepted membership of the Communist Party” in 1999. [footnote penny 8] To have a larger membership than that of the Party’s would be to have the more dominant ideology in Chinese society—an ideological victory, as it were. Although media outlets focus less on this aspect of the movement, Xiao Ming is especially interested, as it is a way to contextualize the situation as well as the audiences that the rhetoric is aimed at. The morals and tenants that Falun Gong espouses, Ming states, are directly counter to the Marxist ideology that the state would like to instill in its populace. From topics such as politics, religion, science, culture, and healthcare, there is a long range of topics in which the ideologies between the two parties clash. [footnote ming 1] Indeed, the movement challenges the “basic assumptions of Marxism, authoritarianism, and scientism,” which make up the very “bedrock of communist political culture.” [footnote ming 7] By providing “alternative moral discourse” Falun Gong has become a perceived threat, as the “Communist leadership considered itself triumphant in regulating the bodies and minds” of the people. [footnote ming1] Thus, Marxism (and perhaps Maoism) are placed in direct opposition with Falun Gong’s ideologies. While Marxism stresses science, Falun Gong emphasizes spirituality. While the Party places the importance of the collective and the masses first, Falun Gong advocates for individuality. Historians and the media all mention at least one thing— the idea (or the Party’s claim, for the latter) that Falun Gong threatens stability. It is merely a question if the movement is threatening the stability of the Party and
Falun Gong, according to Penny, would rather its figure “to be greater than sixty-three million,” since that number was the “generally accepted membership of the Communist Party” in 1999. [footnote penny 8] To have a larger membership than that of the Party’s would be to have the more dominant ideology in Chinese society—an ideological victory, as it were. Although media outlets focus less on this aspect of the movement, Xiao Ming is especially interested, as it is a way to contextualize the situation as well as the audiences that the rhetoric is aimed at. The morals and tenants that Falun Gong espouses, Ming states, are directly counter to the Marxist ideology that the state would like to instill in its populace. From topics such as politics, religion, science, culture, and healthcare, there is a long range of topics in which the ideologies between the two parties clash. [footnote ming 1] Indeed, the movement challenges the “basic assumptions of Marxism, authoritarianism, and scientism,” which make up the very “bedrock of communist political culture.” [footnote ming 7] By providing “alternative moral discourse” Falun Gong has become a perceived threat, as the “Communist leadership considered itself triumphant in regulating the bodies and minds” of the people. [footnote ming1] Thus, Marxism (and perhaps Maoism) are placed in direct opposition with Falun Gong’s ideologies. While Marxism stresses science, Falun Gong emphasizes spirituality. While the Party places the importance of the collective and the masses first, Falun Gong advocates for individuality. Historians and the media all mention at least one thing— the idea (or the Party’s claim, for the latter) that Falun Gong threatens stability. It is merely a question if the movement is threatening the stability of the Party and