Grand Rapids, MI – Spirits were high as Syd Loving, a member of the Central Committee of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke at two events in the Grand Rapids area on Monday, November 11. Loving had spent ten days during the summer in China as a part of the Friends of Socialist China delegation there – learning about Chinese history, the role of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in daily life and governance, and the technological advances the largest socialist country has made.
Loving took on the numerous misconceptions about China and told why we should learn from China’s experience building socialism.
The two events in Grand Rapids marked the beginning of Loving’s five-day speaking tour through the Midwest. In addition to the talks in Grand Rapids, they will be in Detroit, Columbus, Cleveland and Lafayette. Loving has already spoken to crowds in over a dozen cities in the U.S. since their return.
Loving began the event with an overview of their experiences in China as they visited cities such as Shanghai, Yan’an, Xi’an and Jiuquan. The delegation also attended a major cross-cultural meeting in Dunhuang where hundreds of delegates from countries across the world met with one another.
“China is a real place, it isn’t a utopia.” Loving began. “It’s a real place on Earth. So of course there’s going to be contradictions there like there is in everything. But what we saw really affirmed that China is not only continuing to build socialism in a way that centers the people, but also that China’s role in the world proves that the future is more equal, more peaceful, and more prosperous for more people if we build socialism.”
The talk focused on many aspects of Chinese society in the 21st century, as well as Chinese revolutionary history. They said the trip to Yan’an was amongst their favorite places due to its importance to the revolution.
“I’m a revolutionary, so of course I was excited to go to Yan’an! It was the cradle of the revolution. The party was based there from ’35 to ‘38. It was the end point of the Long March, where members of the Red Army marched tens of thousands of kilometers around enemy lines to group up. And then, from the city, commanded a war against Japanese aggression,” Loving explained.
China’s resounding successes with poverty alleviation was another important topic.
“The U.S. and the rest of the imperialist countries define extreme poverty as something like making less than $3 a day. China has a more robust definition. To them, extreme poverty is when someone doesn’t have access to a safe home, running water, running electricity, education, or safe food. China has completely eradicated this back-breaking poverty in their country and that’s why people support the CPC.”
Loving ended the event with a Q&A portion.
Cindy Gomez, a student at Grand Valley State University, expressed gratitude for their reporting on China, saying, “Syd connecting with the students was beautiful, but listening to Syd break down the myths of China was an awakening experience. Syd brought a form of clarity to the students of Grand Valley about the socialist construction in China.”
Check out Syd Loving’s report back on their trip to China by attending a talk in any of these cities: Detroit on November 18; Cleveland, Ohio November 19; Columbus, Ohio November 20; and Lafayette, Indiana on November 21.
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