A giant bronze statue of Confucius recently appeared on the east side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, and many people in China’s capital and beyond are not amused (“Rectification of Statues,” January 22, 2011). As you report, sixty-two percent of respondents to an online poll conducted by the party newspaper, the People’s Daily, oppose it. The relentless promotion of Confucianism, as witnessed by a growing number of Confucius Institutes around the globe, is a funny business, no doubt. The propaganda initiative must be most suspicious at home, where the ancient philosopher has been shunned, often rather violently, by the communist leaders ever since their accession to power. But one of Confucius’ sayings seems to capture the moment pretty well: a good man is one good people in the village like, and bad people do not like. But how can you tell good from bad people? Must you ask Confucius? Luckily, the Communist Party is here to answer such difficult questions. In his worthy name, of course.