4 ms·

I don't see any references to Cultural Revolution in that quote?

nerdponx 9y ago
I don't know your background, so I'm not sure if you're being coy or genuinely don't know. But the gist is: mass persecution, made possible by citizens spying on each other. OK fair, nobody has been singled out or publicly humiliated (yet), but it's the same setup. Forgive me if the Cultural Revolution means something different to you; I'm going based on the description given to me by one of my close friends, whose parents are from China and experienced it.
- cheapsteak 9y ago
  Appreciate the benefit of doubt, I honestly didn't see a connection and thought you might have conflated Cultural Revolution with Communist Revolution. I think that I can understand where your interpretation came from, but wouldn't really draw that connection here Neighbors and friends and family "whistleblowing" each other to the government certainly was an aspect of Cultural Revolution, but it never really struck me as a distinctive/defining feature. The same things happened before Cultural Revolution as well (note that the time period pointed out in the article is 1949, which is the year Communist China was established and revolutionary zeal was high, but 17 years before the Cultural Revolution began), and the same tattling can also be found during McCarthy-era America, and briefly in post-9-11 America ("If You See Something, Say Something") The more defining features of the Cultural Revolution (at least to Chinese) is the persecution specifically of educated people (professors being harassed and shamed into committing suicide. "the more educated, the more reactionary"), the shunning of education (My grandpa had to shut the doors and teach his kids in secret at home, quite a risky move if anyone found out), the scheduled public demonstrations of loyalty to the party via everyone getting together to dance the loyalty dance every morning, and a dogmatic adherence to party lines, no rational or logic debate allowed (you will be shunned and reported). Don't really see those features in this policy.

I don't know your background, so I'm not sure if you're being coy or genuinely don't know. But the gist is: mass persecution, made possible by citizens spying on each other. OK fair, nobody has been singled out or publicly humiliated (yet), but it's the same setup. Forgive me if the Cultural Revolution means something different to you; I'm going based on the description given to me by one of my close friends, whose parents are from China and experienced it.

cheapsteak 9y ago
Appreciate the benefit of doubt, I honestly didn't see a connection and thought you might have conflated Cultural Revolution with Communist Revolution. I think that I can understand where your interpretation came from, but wouldn't really draw that connection here Neighbors and friends and family "whistleblowing" each other to the government certainly was an aspect of Cultural Revolution, but it never really struck me as a distinctive/defining feature. The same things happened before Cultural Revolution as well (note that the time period pointed out in the article is 1949, which is the year Communist China was established and revolutionary zeal was high, but 17 years before the Cultural Revolution began), and the same tattling can also be found during McCarthy-era America, and briefly in post-9-11 America ("If You See Something, Say Something") The more defining features of the Cultural Revolution (at least to Chinese) is the persecution specifically of educated people (professors being harassed and shamed into committing suicide. "the more educated, the more reactionary"), the shunning of education (My grandpa had to shut the doors and teach his kids in secret at home, quite a risky move if anyone found out), the scheduled public demonstrations of loyalty to the party via everyone getting together to dance the loyalty dance every morning, and a dogmatic adherence to party lines, no rational or logic debate allowed (you will be shunned and reported). Don't really see those features in this policy.