The dark forces of karaoke and spitting are set to do battle with the spiritually enriching power of books and flowers under a novel scheme to stiffen the moral fiber of Beijing's citizens.
Authorities in the Chinese capital unveiled plans Wednesday for a "morality-evaluation index" that will rank communities according to the refinement and ethical virtue of their residents and local environment.
Sharing housework, speaking a foreign language and regularly reading a newspaper will push up the neighborhood score, along with displays of patriotism, large book collections and balconies full of potted plants.
Do nots
But residents will risk a collapse in their community score if they are reported for alcohol abuse, noise complaints, pollution or a violation of licenses covering Internet cafes and karaoke parlors.
In a trial of the system in three communities earlier this year, scores were assessed by local officials and researchers from the Beijing Social Science Institute using a list of 100 items, each rated from zero to nine.
It was in keeping with central government guidelines to improve the ethics of a country struggling to reset its moral compass amid an adjustment from communist idealism to capitalist materialism.
Both elements are apparent in the compilation of the index, which is at once reminiscent of the old-style central planning that saw the bureaucracy intrude on the most private aspects of individual life.
It also introduces an element of competition because the communities are supposed to try to outdo one another to be named as the most morally upright.
The Dongchung district of Beijing says it will now apply the system in more than a dozen communities with the aim of tightening up public morals ahead of the Olympics in 2008.
"It is a good way to foster competition among local officials and to educate the public," said Cheng Yongtao of the district's propaganda department. "In the future it could be expanded, and certificates and financial rewards could be introduced."
The index has also stirred up public debate. Several academics had wanted to include divorce statistics, arguing that high rates of separation should be taken as a negative factor. But progressive thinkers on the rating panel countered that divorce was a sign of progressiveness so it should be seen as a plus. Unable to agree, the item was dropped from the list.
In the bustling neighborhood of Beixinqiao, which will soon be part of the system, local people gave a cautious welcome to the upcoming morality inspections.
"There is no such thing as a perfect family, but this should give us some ideas about how we can improve the community - and any extra incentive to plant flowers is a good thing," said Hu Jinxien of the neighborhood committee.
Practical limits
Whether the scheme will catch on elsewhere is far from certain. Even the most enthusiastic of the index's supporters admitted there were limits to the authorities' ability to inspect public morals.
Asked whether sexual behavior and gambling were included, Cheng said it was not possible to cover everything. "We couldn't go too deep or we would have ended up with a list of thousands of items.
You have to draw the line somewhere."
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