a Chinese principle

i was struck thrice in recent times by something. like they say, things happen in threes. and when they do, u can be quite sure it definitely means something.

it is a principle. about leadership. and the instances have one common denominator. they are all Chinese. and judging by their historical value it seems like this principle has been upheld throughout China's history.

in the epic film Red Cliff, set during the time of the Warring Kingdoms around 208 AD, Liu Bei said: 如果连老百姓都不能保护，那这场抗争还有什么意义。(what good is a ruler if he cannot protect his people.)

in the film The Warlords, based on the Taiping Rebellion of the 1860s, General Pang said: 从 前我做官的时候，在街上看见一个士兵，捉着一个穷人，见着就打，打得遍体鳞伤，浑身是血。没有任何理由，就是因为他穷。而这个穷人并没有怨言，好像一切都 是天公地道。从那天起我就发誓，如果我做主，这种事绝不能再发生。不光你们，全天下的百姓，都不能让人欺负。我们要做的是这样的大事。(freedom for everyone.)

and lastly, i saw in a Tiananmen documentary, a student leader back then said, in a particular homage, the late Premier Zhao Ziyang displayed his core Chinese principle that fateful evening, and stuck to it until his death. he believed a government's job is to protect, not harm, its people, which is why he was so against the use of the military that night. and though paramount leader Deng Xiaoping gave him the opportunities to return from exile thereafter, he never succumbed.