RED ROULETTE by Desmond Shum

 

How the mighty fall, and then cleanse themselves by writing a book about it. There is plenty to write about however, and it is unlikely the author's soul will ever be cleansed. What is also interesting about this book, and I got this from an on-line review is that it shows what happens when the excesses of capitalism at one end of the political/economic spectrum are mixed with the authoritarianism of communism at the other. A brand new beast emerges resulting in extraordinary and dangerous wealth, and equally extraordinary and dangerous corruption. You mess with the system, you fall out with those at the top of the tree, then you are a goner. As happened to the author's wife in 2017 when she literally disappeared from the front steps of a hotel in Shanghai, never seen since. There is a morality tale here, but whether the author sees that or not is questionable. He now lives in the UK with the son he and his wife had. The conception and birth of the boy is itself quite a tale.

Shum, like so many of those who got rich during the '90s and '00s, when the Chinese government began to open up its economy to the West and to western economic models, came from a family that suffered much during the leadership of Mao Tse Tung. He was a bright boy and won a scholarship to the US where he saw for himself how fantastic life was under a capitalist and democratic  system. Taking these influences back to China he set about making it happen, with his girl friend Whitney, who it turned out to be, was the more driven and dangerous half of this partnership. Their entire existence revolved around developing connections, working those connections with communist party leaders and other influential people, those descended from the original communist party founders/leaders the most highly prized. These connections were essential in making things happen - building projects, business restructures, getting permits and permissions. So many levels of government that needed to be persuaded. The money that changed hands, the international trips and ostentatious spending  to massage these processes was immense, obscene. Yet Shum and Whitney and many many others went for it as if it was all going to be taken away tomorrow. Which it eventually was. 

It seems that a change in China's leadership in 2013 was the beginning of the end, the current paramount leader Xi Jinping determined to root out all this corruption. His powers are sweeping and we have seen it in the suppression of free speech in Hong Kong, as well as the criminal trials for government leaders and officials who have fallen out of favour. The way Shum describes all this, it seems more like a witch hunt, the pinning of anything onto the hapless victim, true or not. 

The book is fascinating from all this point of view, written it would seem, by someone who knows what they are talking about. To get ahead in China, you have to be ruthless, determined, slightly crazy and ready to do anything to reach your goal. Shum and Whitney were outstanding successes at the projects they undertook, and made millions and millions from their actions. But at what cost? And moreover Shum knows he can never set foot in China or Hong Kong again. I am just so thankful that I live in a country that values democracy, freedom of speech, with little support or approval for any hint of corruption. We may not be the richest nation in terms of economic factors but we are certainly rich in the quality of human relationships and connections.