"Trump's America and Mao's China: A Familiar Dichotomy"
Trump's Behavior Echoes Mao's Policies for the Chinese, AccORDing to Assessment
Some scholars compare Donald Trump's US presidency to Mao Zedong's rule in China, drawing parallels between their styles and approaches. While these comparisons have limits, they reveal compelling similarities and differences.
Emulating the Mao Era: The Red Guards Analogy
Researcher Ding Xueliang, a Harvard graduate and expert on the Chinese Cultural Revolution, shares this view. Born and raised in communist China, Ding actually joined Mao's Red Guards at the age of 13[1]. In modern times, Trump seems to echo Mao by distrusting the upper class, favoring bureaucracy, and claiming to be close to the common folk[1].
A Shaken Society: The Cultural Revolution's Echoes
The Chinese Cultural Revolution was a brutal and tumultuous period characterized by denunciations, public humiliation, torture, exile, and death[1]. While the US today is far from equivalent to Mao's China, Ding concedes that there are "certain parallels"[1]. Jiang Xue, a Chinese investigative journalist, echoes these sentiments, feeling "overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity" since leaving China for the US[2].
Dictators and Their Loyalists
Zhang Qianfan, a Beijing constitutional lawyer, observes that Trump, like Mao, surrounds himself with loyalists outside the traditional establishment[1]. Zi Zhongyun, Zhang's colleague, explains that strongmen desire direct contact with the people, seeing bureaucracy as an obstacle[1]. The comparison becomes tenuous when considering that Red Guards functioned like paramilitaries, killing thousands, while Elon Musk's team, who work to streamline bureaucracy, are IT experts[1].
A Postmodern Revolution: Far From Mao's Time
Despite these congruencies, there exist enormous differences between the US under Trump and Mao's China during the Cultural Revolution[1]. For one, Trump has only been in office for a little over four months, with midterm elections potentially limiting his power[1].
The US also benefits from mechanisms designed to safeguard its political system from authoritarian rule[1]. These checks and balances have successfully tempered Trump's style, as courts challenge his decisions, and the media extensively and openly criticizes the administration.
This level of scrutiny and skepticism would have been unimaginable during Mao's China[1]. In contrast, the Cultural Revolution began as a nationwide movement fueled by Maoist ideology, ultimately claiming hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives.
The Sand in the Gears: Democracy's Defenses
Sociologist Andrew Walder explains that the founders of the US placed barriers everywhere in the system to ward off potential authoritarian leaders. These safeguards have proven effective so far[3]. In Mao's China, however, there was little obstruction to the Cultural Revolution's onset since the system was already adversarial[3].
Controversial Comparisons
Many critics dispute attempts to compare Trump to Mao, claiming they oversimplify the complexities of political leadership[4]. Nonetheless, these discussions illuminate the potential dangers of authoritarianism and emphasize the value of democratic controls and critical thinking.
The European Union finds itself at the center of general-news politics, as scholars and analysts continue to weigh in on the Trump presidency, drawing parallels between his style and Mao Zedong's rule in China. Much like Mao's China, the EU is facing a period of political upheaval, with debates over immigration, economy, and nationalism stirring familiar tensions.
As the EU navigates these challenges, it must look to its own safeguards and mechanisms to maintain democratic principles, much like the US has done in facing Trump's presidency. Likewise, the EU must remain vigilant against the potential dangers of authoritarianism, as large-scale shifts in politics can have far-reaching consequences, as seen during the Cultural Revolution in China.
