Part 8/11:
All these factors contribute to a cultural climate where optimism is evaporating. The government's new messaging emphasizes struggle and hardship over prosperity. Instead of inspiring citizens to pursue wealth, leaders now urge them to endure suffering in the name of national rejuvenation—an outlook that critics describe as the death of hope itself.
The Irony of Cultural and Political Contradictions
Despite the narrative of resurgence, the Chinese people’s lives tell a different story. They are disillusioned with aspirations of prosperity, feeling increasingly that the system doesn’t serve them. The CCP’s focus on controlling history and shaping a hero’s narrative often masks the reality of economic stagnation and personal hardship.