2 ms·
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
by 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.