In today's New York Times, there is an article about China's "heir apparent" premier, Xi Jin-Pang. In it, I came across something that struck such a wonderfully dissonant chord, I had to re-read it to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. The sentence in question was with respect to Mr. Xi's wife, who was described as "a celebrity folk-singer and army major general." I suppose this could only be possible in countries like China --and, possibly, Israel-- whose revolutions are within the memory of many people still living. In the United States, for example, the revolutionary fervor of the founders (the Tea Party notwithstanding) has been tempered by more than two-hundred years of relative stability.
For us, folk singers have usually been of a radical and counter-cultural bent. In China, the spirit of revolution would not be as inconsistent with being a career military officer (let alone a general) than it would be in the U.S. Just imagine the wife of one of the leading contenders for president of the United States being described in that manner. I remember when I (in the face of a draft notice), reluctantly entered Officer Training School back in the mid-sixties, being asked, "how could you, an english major and a folk-singer, enter officer training?" It was, I guess, not that unusual a question, as my contemporaries, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Paul Simon had somehow resisted the "lure" of military service in pursuit of their muse. They either knew something I didn't, or successfully claimed the little-known "folkie" exemption to the draft.
But getting back to Peng Liyuan, hardly Gilbert & Sullivan's "model of the modern major-general," I leave you with the following imaginary headline from the 60's: "Tonight, Senator Carl Reynolds of South Dakota will be giving the keynote address at his party's national convention. His wife, Major General Joan Baez, accompanying herself on guitar, will perform the national anthem as well as "With God on Our Side." Not!
For us, folk singers have usually been of a radical and counter-cultural bent. In China, the spirit of revolution would not be as inconsistent with being a career military officer (let alone a general) than it would be in the U.S. Just imagine the wife of one of the leading contenders for president of the United States being described in that manner. I remember when I (in the face of a draft notice), reluctantly entered Officer Training School back in the mid-sixties, being asked, "how could you, an english major and a folk-singer, enter officer training?" It was, I guess, not that unusual a question, as my contemporaries, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, and Paul Simon had somehow resisted the "lure" of military service in pursuit of their muse. They either knew something I didn't, or successfully claimed the little-known "folkie" exemption to the draft.
But getting back to Peng Liyuan, hardly Gilbert & Sullivan's "model of the modern major-general," I leave you with the following imaginary headline from the 60's: "Tonight, Senator Carl Reynolds of South Dakota will be giving the keynote address at his party's national convention. His wife, Major General Joan Baez, accompanying herself on guitar, will perform the national anthem as well as "With God on Our Side." Not!
