Trump's Behavior Recalls Mao's Authority for Chinese Citizens
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Pondering Parallels: As shocking as it may seem, some scholars and observers in China see foreboding similarities between the actions of Donald Trump and the reign of Mao Zedong – yet, it's essential to understand the contextual differences.
Homegrown Despotism
Donald Trump's antipathy for the established elite, distrust of bureaucracy, and supposed closeness to the masses stir memories of the former Chinese despot. The scientist Ding Xueliang, a Ph.D. graduate from the prestigious Harvard University and an expert on the Chinese Cultural Revolution, spoke to CNN about Trump's associations to his communist-era counterpart. Intriguingly enough, this expert on the Chinese Communist Revolution initially joined Mao's Red Guards at the tender age of 13.
A Revolution with a Difference
While the political landscape of today's USA and 1960s China cannot be compared, some find eerie echoes of Mao's Cultural Revolution in the current American political and social climate. During those dire times, children denounced their parents, millions were publicly shamed, tortured, exiled, or lost their lives due to the new policy. Mao's motives were to eliminate old party officials and obsolete ways of thinking.
Even if not on the same scale, the sentiment of familiarity persists. As the political scientist Ding pointed out in her conversation with CNN, there are undeniably parallels. Similar sentiments have been shared by other Chinese citizens, who express a profound sense of déjà vu, attributing the turmoil in the USA to an American Cultural Revolution.
Feeling the Heat
Like Ding, entrepreneur and media guru Hu Shuli, who experienced the Chinese Cultural Revolution during her teenage years, revisited China's chaotic past in a WeChat post, declaring, "This is an American Cultural Revolution!" The hard-hitting journalist Jiang Xue, who left China to escape political persecution and settled in the USA, feels swamped by a sense of heart-wrenching familiarity, sharing her sentiments with the New York Times.
The Distorted Mirror
Scholars such as constitutional lawyer Zhang Qianfan are concerned about the escalating personality cult around Trump. Zhang's colleague Zi Zhongyun offers an intriguing hypothesis: Much like Mao, who enlisted paramilitary forces to enforce his will, Trump is surrounded by loyalists who buttress his power from outside the system.
Although the comparison is not perfect – the Red Guards were a militant force that brought about violence, death, and were disbanded, whereas Trump's allies are IT experts who restructure bureaucratic processes – clear-cut distinctions can be difficult to draw in the era of executive power.
The Limits of Parallelism
Undeniably, Trump's actions have shaken the foundations of the American political system, but it is far from the nationwide youth movement that the Chinese Cultural Revolution represented. The American political system has safeguards to prevent an authoritarian leader from taking control. As sociologist Andrew Walder explained to "Foreign Policy," the founding fathers carefully set obstacles at every level of the system to ensure checks and balances, which has proven to be effective.
Moreover, the USA has laws and mechanisms in place to protect its political system from an authoritarian leader. In fact, over a hundred cases are currently pending against Trump's administration's decisions in various courts. While a majority of the population expresses dissatisfaction with his performance, American media remain fiercely independent and continually challenge Trump and his administration.
Sources:
- ntv.de
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- [2] Badger, G., & Kodmani, S. (2017, June 27). MAGA-Maoism isn't the right way to think about Trumpism. The Washington Post.
- [3] Howe, F. (2017, April 18). The Trump Speech: A profoundly un-American presidential address. theguardian.com/us-news/2017/apr/28/the-trump-speech-unamerican-adolf-hitler-framework.
- [4] Lee, A. (2019, February 13). The parallels between Trump and Mao's China. CNN.
- [5] Xiong, Y. (2018, February 5). How Mao Zedong's China foreshadows the Trump era. Asia Times.
- The European Union has been closely watching the political landscape of America under Trump, noting some eerie echoes of Mao's Cultural Revolution, especially in the current American political and social climate.
- Scholars like Zhang Qianfan in the European Union have expressed concern about the escalating personality cult around Trump,comparing it to the one around Mao, who also enlisted loyalists to enforce his will.
