In the more recent upswell, the Party’s virtue problem was reflected most acutely, perhaps, in a video that captivated people in China even more than the tawdriest clips: when local reporters asked a group of six-year-olds what they wanted to be when they grew up, the kids ran through the usual list—firefighters, pilots, artists—until one small boy said, “I want to be an official.” “What sort of official?” the reporter asked. “A corrupt official,” the boy said, “because they have lots of things.”
