Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article: A1269-W885

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1269-W885

Release Date: Dec. 10, 2019

发布日：2019年12月10日

Topic: Three Feet Of Ice Is Not Due to One Freeze, Rome Is Not Built in One Day -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：冰冻三尺，非一日之寒 -- 魏京生

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

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Three Feet Of Ice Is Not Due to One Freeze, Rome Is Not Built in One Day

-- Wei Jingsheng

This December is an interesting month, with three commemorative events concentrated in this month. Maybe it is related to the United Nations Human Rights Day. The three commemoration activities and related people are indeed related to human rights and democracy. The large-scale commemorative event in Taiwan asks people not to forget the heroes who paid the price for democracy and freedom 40 years ago. The overseas' "Wei Jingsheng Chinese Democracy Champion Prize" was awarded to Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong. The overseas Liu Binyan Thought Award was awarded to Hong Kong media tycoon Mr. Jimmy Lai Chee-ying.

These three activities are different yet very similar. They are all commemorating those who have made many years of sacrifice for democracy, freedom and human rights, and have played important roles in guiding the trend of thought. In December 1979, right after the trial of the Democracy Wall Movement in Beijing, the well-known Formosa Magazine democracy movement was launched, with its main leaders holding open thoughts of democracy and freedom. Religious figures in Hong Kong, represented by Cardinal Joseph Zen, have been calling for years of religious freedom in Hong Kong and the Mainland China. His promotion of human rights and democratic thought has also contributed to the democratic movement in Hong Kong now. Of particular value is that in order to prevent the Holy See from falling into the trap of the Chinese Communist regime, and to protect the purity of the Christian faith on Mainland China, Cardinal Joseph Zen has repeatedly plead to the Popes despite tremendous pressure within the Catholic order. Although Mr. Liu Binyan believed in Marxism-Leninism throughout his life, he plead for the people and exposed the darkness of the Communist regime, which has inspired and stimulated the public's resistance against tyranny. Other previous awardees are also fighters who have sacrificed and contributed to democracy and freedom.

Despite different approaches, the goal is the same. Although everyone has different beliefs and different ideologies, human nature guides their behaviors to the same goal. From human nature, freedom and human rights are the common needs of all people. From human nature, tyranny damages the rights and interests of all people, while democratic systems are the best guarantee for the rights and interests of all people. So as long as it is based on kind nature, no matter what kind of belief system you are in, loving freedom and democracy will become your ultimate choice. Only from a maliciously intent autocratic ideological system of attempting exploit and suppress others, can someone conclude that autocracy is more excellent and effective. That is a truly different value system, and an anti-human value system.

As the saying goes: Three feet of ice is not due to one freeze, Rome is not built in one day. Without the efforts of these people who sacrifice for many years, there will be no general sober understanding of autocratic tyranny, nor will there be a large-scale mass movement and a future of democracy and freedom. However, a lot of folk opinion has been guided by the fallacy of the Communist regime: What is the use of your propaganda? The Communist Party has not been defeated for decades. However, three feet of ice is not due to one freeze, Rome is not built in one day. How can a miracle happen without years of work and sacrifice?

Pioneers of the Taiwanese democracy movement have criticized current Taiwan's leaders and people for lacking the spirit of sacrifice back then. In fact, what should be criticized more is that the Mainland Chinese lack the spirit of struggle and sacrifice of the Hong Kong people. Although the democratic movements in China and abroad have struggled for decades, although the victims of the Communist regime have struggled for decades, various public opinions have been effectively suppressed and misled by the Communist regime of China. Well-known and popular theories include that "the Communist regime can not be conquered", the theory of "the uselessness of the democratic movement", the theory of "age of hot and cold weapons", the theory of "stop when heard good news", and so on. These theories are different, but the conclusion is the same: not to resist. These fallacies in sheep's clothing even affect public opinion and government decision-making in democratic countries, guiding them to pin the hope of Chinese democracy on the Communist regime's "self-reformation that will be brought about automatically by the economic development in China", and so to refuse to support the democratic movement and resistance of the Chinese people.

But today the people have become more and more awakened, and the Westerners' views are also rapidly changing. Very few people still believe that wolves can eat grass and to become kind when they put on sheepskins. Some people have criticized this as an era that is getting darker, but I think this is an era when justice is awakening. Let us all take a longer-term view and wait for the arrival of dawn.

(This English version is translated by Ciping HUANG, without any compensation. Wei Jingsheng and the Wei Jingsheng Foundation appreciate her decades of contribution, especially for allowing the use and distribution of her translations of these commentaries.)

Original link of this commentary:

https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/weijingsheng/xi-12102019140814.html

To hear Mr. Wei Jingsheng's related commentary, please visit:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/RFA/RFA2019/WeiJS191210onPersistence.mp3

(Written and recorded on Dec. 10, 2019. Broadcasted by Radio Free Asia on Dec. 10, 2019.)

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中文版

Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article: A1269-W885

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1269-W885

Release Date: Dec. 10, 2019

发布日：2019年12月10日

Topic: Three Feet Of Ice Is Not Due to One Freeze, Rome Is Not Built in One Day -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：冰冻三尺，非一日之寒 -- 魏京生

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

如有中文乱码问题，请与我们联系或访问：

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2019/report2019-12/WeiJS191210onPersistenceA1269-W885.htm

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冰冻三尺，非一日之寒

-- 魏京生

今年的十二月是个有趣的月份，三个纪念活动集中在了这个月。可能是和联合国人权日有关，这三个活动所纪念的人和事，确实都和人权民主有关。台湾大规模纪念活动，要人们不要忘记四十年前为民主自由付出代价的英雄们。海外魏京生民主斗士奖颁发给了香港大主教陈日君先生。海外刘宾雁思想奖发给了香港媒体大亨黎智英先生。

这三个活动既有不同也非常相同，都是纪念那些为了民主自由和人权付出了多年牺牲，起到了引导思想潮流的重要作用的人和事。在北京民主墙运动受到审判之后的七九年十二月份，发起了著名的美丽岛民主运动，其主要领导人具有公开的民主自由思想。香港以陈日君主教为代表的宗教人士，多年来为香港和大陆的宗教信仰而呼吁，推行的也是人权民主的思想，为今日香港的民主运动起了推波助澜的作用。特别可贵的是陈日君主教为了阻止罗马教廷陷入中共的圈套，为了保护大陆的基督教徒信仰的纯洁性，多次上书犯颜直谏，承受了教会内部巨大的压力。刘宾雁先生虽然一生信仰马列主义，但他为民请命揭露黑暗的行动，启迪和激发了反抗暴政的民意。历届得奖人也是为了民主自由做出了牺牲和贡献的斗士。

正所谓殊途同归。虽然大家有不同的信仰和理念，但从人性出发的价值观指导他们的行为殊途同归。从人的本性出发，自由和人权是所有人的共同需要。从人的本性出发，专制暴政损害的是所有人的权利和利益，而民主制度是对所有人权利和利益的最好的保障。因此只要是从善良的本性出发，无论你是哪一种信仰体系，爱好自由民主都会成为你最终的选择。只有从恶意出发，企图压迫剥削别人的专制思想体系，才会得出专制更加优秀有效的结论。那才是真正不同的价值体系，反人类的价值体系。

俗话说：冰冻三尺，非一日之寒。没有和他们一样的牺牲者们多年的努力，就没有对专制暴政的普遍清醒的认识，也就没有随之而来的大规模群众运动，也就没有民主自由的未来。很多民间舆论随着共产党五毛的谬论说道：你们的宣传有什么用？几十年来共产党还是没被打倒。但是，冰冻三尺，非一日之寒，没有年深日久的工作和牺牲，怎么会有奇迹发生呢？

台湾民主运动的先驱们，批评现在台湾的领导人和民众缺乏当年那种牺牲精神。其实更应该批评的，是大陆人民缺乏香港人民的斗争牺牲精神。虽然海内外民主运动奋斗了几十年，虽然大陆受害的群众牺牲奋斗了几十年，但是各种舆论受到了中共有效的压制和误导。著名而又特别流行的舆论，包括中共不可战胜论、民运无用论、冷热兵器论、见好就收论，等等。他们的说法各异，结论就是不要反抗论。这些披着羊皮的谬论甚至影响到民主国家的舆论和政府决策，让他们把中国民主的希望，寄托在了经济发展就会自动带来中共自我改造上，拒绝支持民主运动和人民的反抗。

但是今天人民已经越来越觉醒了，西方人的看法也在迅速地转变，很少人再相信狼可以吃草，披上一张羊皮就可以发善心。有人批评这是一个越来越黑暗的时代，我倒觉得这是一个正义在觉醒的时代。让我们大家把眼光放得长远一些，等待黎明的到来吧。

(本评论的英文版本由黄慈萍翻译。魏京生和魏京生基金会感谢她数十年来有关的无偿贡献，特别是使用和发布此译文的许可。)

本篇评论在自由亚洲电台的原始链接：

https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/pinglun/weijingsheng/xi-12102019140814.html