Hot Comments and Materials | Seeking popularity at the cost of everything, but will only fall into a deeper poverty trap

Reflections on ‘Smashing the Pot and Selling the Iron’ and Fiscal Difficulties The phrase ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron’ actually depicts the scenario where local governments repay debts through extreme frugality. News of the establishment of ‘debt repayment special groups’ in Bishan County, Chongqing, and Delingha, Qinghai, has been widely circulated online. These ‘special teams’ are not new institutions or budgets, but rather the reorganization of personnel from the finance departments, specializing in debt clearance. However, this reveals a tendency towards formalism. For example, similar documents from Delingha and Bishan County, separated by a year, have identical content, indicating that the documents are mostly for show, with limited substantive action.

The phrase ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron,’ at first glance, seems to be full of determination and sacrifice. However, delving into its cultural connotations and social background, we can easily find that it contains not only the family’s determination, but also the projection of social changes and memories of the times. In my growing years, the phrase ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron’ was not unfamiliar. Whenever I heard this sentence, I would always think of my father’s firm and expectant eyes. He often said, “As long as you can pass the exams, even if we have to smash the pot and sell the iron, I will support your education.” This promise is not only an expectation for the children’s future, but also a firm belief in the family’s destiny. In fact, my younger brother and I later went to university as we wished, but it did indeed exhaust the family’s savings. Although the family once fell into poverty, it did not reach the point of truly ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron.’ Because in this era, the iron quality of that pot is not enough to become a valuable asset. It is more of a symbol, a determination and courage to seek a way out in adversity. My father’s fondness for this word is largely due to his childhood experiences. During the Great Leap Forward, the ironware of every household, even the daily necessities, were required to be handed over. People at that time experienced true poverty, all private property was confiscated, and life became extremely difficult. Therefore, the phrase ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron,’ for my father: is both a painful memory and a rebellion against the extreme era of the past. Back to reality, we see that many places have serious debt problems, but we rarely see actual actions to reduce redundant personnel and streamline government. The ‘bureaus’ hanging at the entrance of the government agencies, seemingly departmental integration, are actually only a formal merger, without truly improving efficiency and saving costs. How to reasonably arrange and manage these institutions and personnel is indeed a question worth exploring in depth. The phrase ‘smashing the pot and selling the iron’ has become more of a symbolic expression today. It reflects not only the family’s difficulties and determination, but also the complexity of social management and public finance. It is a common term in meetings and communications, but to some extent it also exposes that the root of the debt problem is not simply repayment, but requires deeper institutional reflection and management innovation. In this process, we need to avoid the asexual reproduction and abuse of words, and we need more substantive reforms and progress.