It is interesting how different countries around the world envision themselves in the year 2020:

• Nigeria hopes to accomplish vision 2020 -- where "60% to 90% college and university graduates can be productive either through employment in an organization or self-employed entrepreneurs".
• Malaysia aims to be a fully developed economy by the year 2020.
• Bhutan 2020 is a "Vision for Peace, Prosperity and Happiness" for the tiny Buddhist nation that measures national development by means of the elusive concept of Gross National Happiness.

In a 4,000 character communique issued two days ago by our beloved Party, China will build a 'harmonious society' by -- you guessed it -- 2020! The Singapore-based Straits Times notes that as with past communiques, the latest one "carried no details like how much the country would spend on meeting its goals" but marks "a significant shift for the ruling CCP, as it tries to steer officials away from their all-out obsession with securing economic growth and towards greater social development".

A copy of the communique released by the official Xinhua news agency elucidates:

The Party will in the next 15 years commit itself to improving democratic legal system and human rights protection, narrowing the wealth gap, increasing employment, improving public service of the government, promoting people's moral standards, securing public order and protecting the environment.

With such a rosy outlook in China and around the world, we are sure Jihadists will finally find a reason to drop their swords and live happily with everyone else. Paradise would have come to earth anyway!

In the meanwhile, Shanghaiist will do our bit to usher in paradise by chanting our Confucian Bibles.

Vision of paradise from the official website of the Watchtower Movement.