([The Epoch Times, July 15, 2024](Epoch Times special department reporters Zhao Bin and Ning Xin interviewed and reported)) China’s economy has declined sharply, man-made disasters have continued under the rule of the CCP, and the Chinese people are desperate for the CCP’s authority. This vividly describes the CCP regime as having entered “history’s garbage time,” a sentiment shared by many. Five months following this view gained widespread attention, on the eve of the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, numerous official media and scholars suddenly refuted this view, labeling it even more dangerous than the “flat earth theory.”
Commenting on the CCP’s sudden public opinion offensive, a former CCP official said, “Relevant comments arouse the CCP’s concern because they touch the core of its regime’s legitimacy and directly challenge the official victory narrative.” Some commentators added, “These views reflect a change in public sentiment. Everyone, both within and outside the system, is waiting for the final moment when the CCP ship will sink.”
“Garbage time” originally refers to the situation in sports competitions when the score gap between teams becomes too large near the end of the game. Regardless of how hard the players try, it’s difficult to alter the outcome. At this point, the players lose interest in fighting, and the audience loses interest in the game. The remaining boring time is considered “garbage time.”
In February of this year, Dr. Liu Junning, a former researcher at the Institute of Political Science of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described the Chinese Communist regime as having entered a countdown to dynastic change, referring to it as “history’s garbage time.” He added that during this period, no one can change the course of history, and the best strategy for ordinary people is to try to survive, which is reflected in the current popular sentiment of “lying down.”
Following this, the “garbage time theory of history” quickly permeated Chinese society. In early July, it was reported that a female employee of China International Capital Corporation, unable to afford a home following significant housing price declines and salary cuts, felt desperate and committed suicide. Subsequently, someone wrote an article reminding people, “In the garbage time of history, management failure may be an issue that most people need to face.” There were also “financial celebrities” urging, “Don’t invest in the garbage time.” Many self-media personalities echoed this sentiment, advising that in the “garbage time of history,” “lying down and watching a movie is the wisest choice.”
“History’s garbage time” became a buzzword following sparking heated debate. On the eve of the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party media Beijing Daily took the lead in refuting the “garbage time theory of history,” stating that some people exploited the topic for personal gain and “expressed lament and pessimism regarding the country’s development. They are merely insinuating helplessness and hopelessness, denying and belittling everything in today’s China.”
Following this, the Chinese Communist Party’s official media reprinted and quoted relevant articles, launching a comprehensive refutation of the “garbage time theory of history.”
“Historical garbage time theory” touches the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist regime
The CCP’s operation further increased public attention towards the “garbage time theory of history.” Tang Jingyuan, a Chinese political commentator in the United States, told The Epoch Times, “The widespread dissemination and acceptance of these views demonstrate that Chinese society hopes to soon end this final stage of garbage time and usher in a new era.”
Du Wen, the former executive director of the Legal Counsel Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government who is now in exile overseas, told The Epoch Times that the “history’s garbage time” label is accurate, and the Chinese Communist regime has indeed entered this phase. “The Chinese Communist Party cares so much regarding relevant comments because it touches the core of its regime’s legitimacy and directly challenges the official victory narrative.”
“The authorities strongly criticized the attempt to restore people’s confidence and maintain the stability of power, but it exposed the system’s inherent inability and fragility in dealing with complex social emotions.” Du Wen continued, “The key issue is that the Chinese Communist Party’s official media has long been reduced to garbage that no one cares regarding. The media has lost its basic credibility.”
When Wang Wen, executive director of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, refuted the “historical garbage time theory,” he claimed that it utterly negated China’s current development situation and was even more dangerous than the “flat earth theory.”
Du Wen stated that not only has the common people become “satisfied,” but Xi Jinping’s focus on personal centralization in recent years has also led to officials becoming “satisfied” and lazy in governance. Officials within the current system exhibit a “spectator” mentality.
Du Wen, who served as Hu Chunhua’s legal advisor and is familiar with the current state of the CCP’s officialdom, explained, “Three feet of ice does not freeze in a day. I recall that since 2018, a line from the Yuan Dynasty song ‘Peach Blossom Fan’ has been circulating widely in mainland China: ‘Seeing him build a Zhulou, seeing him entertaining guests, seeing his building collapse.’ The current situation reflects not only a loss of public support but also a loss of party support.”
The common people resisted to extend the life of the CCP and waited for the end of the regime.
Chen Weijian, the current editor-in-chief of “Beijing Spring,” previously wrote that the widespread acceptance of the “history’s garbage time” concept within Chinese society is akin to a death sentence for the current CCP regime. The article states that disgruntled individuals, having lost faith in the CCP, still express a willingness to die with it. This aligns with the ancient saying: “Time will mourn you, and you will all perish!”
In early July, Hunan Province experienced continuous heavy rains. The local government released floods from 87 reservoirs, leading to Dongting Lake overflowing its banks. Numerous individuals in Pingjiang County were reported missing.
The Chinese Communist Party’s official propaganda urged private citizens to donate for disaster relief. Two Chinese companies each donated 5 million yuan (RMB, the same below) in cash to Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, but faced public scrutiny.
Some people commented, questioning why the government wasn’t helping the victims, why money was donated to Africa but not to Chinese people, and whether donated funds would be squandered by officials. One Hunan citizen bluntly stated, “Don’t donate, wait until we rebuild. Welcoming everyone to visit Pingjiang is the greatest help we can get.”
Tang Jingyuan remarked, “In the past, people actively donated money and materials during disasters. Now, public sentiment towards disaster relief has undergone a 180-degree reversal, indicating a complete loss of trust in the CCP. The dam of confidence has ‘burst’.”
It’s noteworthy that three years ago, in mid-July 2021, Henan Province experienced heavy rains for several days, causing severe damage to various areas. The sports brand “Hongxing Erke,” facing business difficulties, donated 50 million yuan in supplies, earning public praise, attracting attention, and becoming a trending topic on Weibo.
In just three years, Chinese society’s attitude toward disaster relief has undergone a significant transformation. Tang Jingyuan highlighted this as one of the strong indicators of the people’s desperation for the authorities. The widespread view of “history’s garbage time” and the CCP’s refutation of this view clearly demonstrate the shift in public sentiment. Chinese society is “calmly” accepting the imminent end of the CCP regime, while the CCP itself panics.
“Firstly, the concept of ‘history’s garbage time’ fundamentally and completely denies all the CCP’s current efforts to save itself and protect the party.” Tang Jingyuan continued, “Secondly, the widespread acceptance of these views signals a divide within and outside the system. Numerous individuals are waiting for the final moment when the CCP ship sinks.”
Editor in charge: Lian Shuhua
“History’s Garbage Time” Theory: A Sign of China’s Changing Sentiment Towards the CCP
[The Epoch Times, July 15, 2024](Epoch Times special department reporters Zhao Bin and Ning Xin interviewed and reported) China’s economy has declined sharply, man-made disasters have continued under the rule of the CCP, and the Chinese people are desperate for the CCP authority, which vividly describes the CCP regime as having entered the “History’s garbage time” has become the consensus of public opinion. Five months following this view was widely discussed, on the eve of the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, many official media and official scholars suddenly refuted this view, saying that it was more dangerous than the “flat theory”.
Regarding the sudden public opinion offensive launched by the CCP, a former CCP official said, “Relevant comments arouse the CCP’s concern because they touch the core of the legitimacy of its regime and directly challenge the official victory narrative.” Some commentators said, “Relevant views reflect People’s minds have changed, and everyone inside and outside the system is waiting for the last moment when the CCP ship will sink.”
What is “History’s Garbage Time”?
“Garbage time” originally refers to the situation in sports competitions when the score gap between the two sides is too large and the end of the game is approaching. No matter how hard the players try, it is difficult to change the outcome. At this time, the players on the field have no intention of fighting anymore, and the audience has lost interest in the game. The remaining boring time is described as “garbage time.”
In February this year, Dr. Liu Junning, a former researcher at the Institute of Political Science of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, described the Chinese Communist regime as having entered a countdown to a change of dynasty as “history’s garbage time.” He also said that during this period, no one can reverse the course of history, and ordinary people can. The best thing is to try to survive this period, which is the currently popular “lying down”.
After that, the “garbage time theory of history” quickly penetrated into Chinese society. In early July, it was reported that a female employee of China International Capital Corporation was unable to afford the purchase of a house. After housing prices plummeted and her salary was cut significantly, she felt desperate and committed suicide. So someone wrote an article to remind: “In the garbage time of history, management failure may be an issue that most people need to face.” There are also “financial celebrities” calling, “Don’t invest in the garbage time.” There are also many self-media celebrities advising that in the “garbage time of history”, “lying down and watching a movie is the wisest choice.”
The CCP’s Refutation of “History’s Garbage Time” Theory
“History’s garbage time” became a buzzword following arousing heated discussions. On the eve of the Third Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee, the Chinese Communist Party media Beijing Daily took the lead in refuting the “garbage time theory of history”, saying that some people used the topic to make use of the topic and “lamented and lamented regarding the country’s development. They are nothing but insinuating helplessness and hopelessness, denying and belittling everything in today’s China.”
Subsequently, the Chinese Communist Party’s official media reprinted and quoted relevant articles and began to comprehensively refute the “garbage time theory of history.”
Why is “History’s Garbage Time” Theory So Controversial?
This operation of the CCP has once once more increased public opinion’s attention to the “garbage time theory of history.” Tang Jingyuan, a Chinese political commentator in the United States, told The Epoch Times, “The widespread dissemination and acceptance of relevant views shows that Chinese society hopes to soon end this last period of garbage time and usher in a new era.”
Du Wen, the former executive director of the Legal Counsel Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Government who is in exile overseas, told The Epoch Times that the positioning of “history’s garbage time” is accurate, and the Chinese Communist regime has indeed entered history’s garbage time. “The Chinese Communist Party cares so much regarding relevant comments because it touches the core of its regime’s legitimacy and directly challenges the official victory narrative.”
“The authorities strongly criticized the attempt to restore people’s confidence and maintain the stability of power, but it exposed the system’s inherent inability and fragility in dealing with complex social emotions.” Du Wen said, “The key to the problem is that the Chinese Communist Party’s official media has long been reduced to garbage that no one cares regarding. The media has lost its basic credibility.”
When Wang Wen, executive director of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, refuted the “historical garbage time theory”, he claimed that the “historical garbage time theory” completely negates China’s current development situation and is more dangerous than the “flattering theory”.
Du Wen said that now not only the common people have been “satisfied”, but Xi Jinping has been bent on personal centralization in recent years, and officials have also been “satisfied” and lazy in governance. Officials in the current system have a “spectator” mentality.
Du Wen once served as Hu Chunhua’s legal advisor and is familiar with the current situation of the CCP’s officialdom. He explained, “Three feet of ice does not freeze in a day. I remember that since 2018, the line from the Yuan Dynasty song “Peach Blossom Fan” has been widely circulated in mainland China: Seeing him build a Zhulou, seeing him entertaining guests, seeing his building collapse. “The current situation is not only a loss of public support, but also a loss of party support.”
The Public’s Growing Disillusionment with the CCP
Chen Weijian, the current editor-in-chief of “Beijing Spring”, previously wrote that the concept of “history’s garbage time” is widely accepted by Chinese society, which is equivalent to a death sentence for the current CCP regime. The article mentions that the angry people whose confidence in the CCP has reached its lowest point still expressed their willingness to die with the CCP. This is what the ancients said: “Time will mourn you, and you will all perish!”
In early July, there were continuous heavy rains in Hunan Province. The local government released floods from 87 reservoirs, Dongting Lake burst its banks, and many people in Pingjiang County were reported to have lost contact.
The Chinese Communist Party’s official propaganda calls on private citizens to donate to help with disaster relief. Two Chinese companies each donated 5 million yuan (RMB, the same below) in cash to Huarong County, Yueyang City, Hunan Province, but were questioned by the public.
Some people left messages in the comment area asking why the government didn’t help the victims. Why donate money to Africa but not to Chinese people? The money donated by the people will also be squandered and wasted by them (officials); some people said, “If donations are required for man-made disasters, will there be fairness and justice in this society?” A Hunan citizen said bluntly, “Don’t donate, wait until we rebuild. Finally, welcoming everyone to visit Pingjiang is the greatest help to us.”
Tang Jingyuan said, “In the past, when encountering disasters, people generally actively donated money and materials. Now the public’s attitude towards disaster relief has undergone a 180-degree reversal, which shows that the people’s hearts and minds have been completely dispersed, and the dam of confidence in the CCP has ‘burst’.” .
It is worth mentioning that three years ago, in mid-July 2021, Henan Province was hit by heavy rains for several days, causing severe damage to many places. The sports brand “Hongxing Erke”, which is facing business difficulties, donated 50 million yuan in supplies, which was praised by the public, attracted attention, and became a hot search on Weibo.
In just three years, Chinese society’s attitude toward disaster relief has undergone a major reversal. Tang Jingyuan said that this is one of the strong evidences that the people are desperate for the authorities. Nowadays, the widely circulated view of “history’s garbage time” and the CCP’s refutation of this well explain that following the change in public sentiment, Chinese society is “calmly” accepting that the countdown to the CCP regime has entered, and the CCP’s panic.
“First of all, the view of ‘history’s garbage time’ fundamentally and completely denies all the current efforts made by the CCP to save itself and protect the party.” Tang Jingyuan said, “Secondly, the relevant views are generally accepted, which shows that there are differences inside and outside the system. Many people are waiting for the last moment when the CCP ship sinks.”
Editor in charge: Lian Shuhua
