Crackdowns and the Rule of Law (Translated from Zhihu)

The following is a translation of an answer by Zhihu user 大西瓜瓜 to the question “Is it time again to ‘close temples and eradicate Buddhism’?” It follows the text in the supplied screenshot, which shows a publication time of April 27, 2026, at 10:06.

There's a question I've never been able to make sense of:

If we emphasize governing the country according to law, what is the rationale for periodic campaigns of concentrated crackdowns?

If certain acts are already illegal, why isn't the law strictly enforced all the time, instead of waiting for particular periods to launch crackdowns? Outside those periods, are different standards applied to the same types of acts? How can such differences be reconciled with equality before the law?

If certain acts aren't a focus of enforcement in normal times, what is the basis for targeting them during a crackdown? Does this change in intensity affect equality before the law?

Then there's the issue of stricter treatment and harsher punishment: If adjudication according to law is emphasized, shouldn't sentencing standards remain consistent? Within the same legal framework, when there is a shift toward stricter treatment and harsher punishment at different times, what limits govern such changes in discretion? How do we determine whether these changes remain within the bounds of the law?

If enforcement intensity can be adjusted from one period to another, what standards govern those adjustments? Who decides, how are they put into effect, and what constraints apply?

The original screenshot is reproduced below. No direct link to the answer was provided.