Chinese Cultural Revolution and Antifa

Many conservatives like to draw parallels of American progressives to the radical Jacobins of the French Revolution.  The reasons are plenty and obvious.  What once started out as revolution based on the Enlightenment ideals of individual liberty and essential equality, spiraled into illogical madness, competition for power, and a need to ensure conformity and ideological purity to the revolution.  It wasn't long before the guillotine was dripping with the blood of revolutionaries who were now deemed enemies of the revolution.  The Jacobins saw an opportunity not just to rid themselves of monarchy, but to rid themselves of the religious, political, and social constructs on which French society was built.  They renamed the days and months of the calendar, rearranged the work week, and attempted to purge the Church and it's influence.  Eventually, many began to notice that this was no longer about liberty, equality and fraternity, but really about power and control.  Robespierre, the architect of the Reign of Terror, would finally meet his date with the guillotine and thus a fitting end to the Revolution.  

France did indeed rid itself of the monarchy, but ended up with an Emperor.  Such is the course of most revolutions.  The initial stage of revolutions appear to be for the righteous causes of liberty, equality, and justice.  Somewhere along the way, the leader of the revolution seizes on the synergy of the masses and the movement, harnesses that synergy, and anoints themselves savior.  Only, they usually become just another power hungry authoritarian. Here is a list of revolutions that at the end of the revolution, the country ended up with a dictator in the same fashion as the one who was disposed, or worse:  English Civil War, French Revolution, Russian Revolution, Chinese Civil War, Cuban Revolution, and Iranian Revolution.  (Just a note...that is why I find the American Revolution and its attempt at government so amazing...it accomplished what it set out to do, and continues to function, somewhat, in that manner.  Compared to all other revolutions, the American has clearly been the most successful)

I have been thinking about revolutions lately as the American protests against racism and police brutality continue.  I guess it is because I see so many similarities between them and have noticed some concerning characteristics.  For one, the protests seem to be a loosely bonded group of those who want to address the issue of racism and others who want to make a broader political statement.  The calls to defund the police, the desecration of monuments, the rhetoric about economics, and destruction of property makes this feel like an all out assault on the culture of America and not just racism.  The more I look at what is going on, the more I think of Mao's Cultural Revolution.

Just a quick trip down memory lane.  After WWII, the Chinese Civil War saw the communists led by Mao defeat the Chaing Kai-scheck and the Nationalists.  Mao's People Republic of China began to try and industrialize the agrarian country by instituting a Soviet style Five Year Plan.  Mao's second Five Year Plan, known as The Great Leap Forward, began in 1958 was a total and abject failure.  Anywhere from 20-30 million Chinese died as a result.   As a result, Mao's power and control over the PRC and in the CPC lessened as other leaders took more control.  Mao maintained some aspects of leadership but it was not until launching his Cultural Revolution was he able to reascend to absolute leader of the PRC.

The Cultural Revolution began in 1966 and was characterized by Mao's use of Chinese Youths known as the Red Guard.  Mao, who had cultivated deity like persona amongst the Chinese youth, had encouraged them to openly rebel against schools, factories, and governments.  It is interesting to note that the first place much of this began was at universities and schools. His aim was to purge China of an alleged bourgeoisie infiltrators and to ensure the youth experienced the revolution for themselves.  Mao encouraged them to use violence against those in power and to destroy historical monuments and relics. Any people who were considered enemies of the revolution were purged, sent to prison camps, or conveniently died in plane crashes.  The Cultural Revolution and the Red Guard successfully brought about the destruction of Chinese culture and paved the way for Mao's return to power.  The Cultural Revolution, while successful for Mao, ended with millions of dead and set China back economically another fifty years.

Now I know we are not there- yet.  But the Antifa, who happen to be mostly young and white, and their belligerent use of violence, destruction of property, and in-your-face combativeness, along with their own version of Mao's Little Red Book, makes me think this is the beginning of a broader cultural war.  George Floyd's death was just an opportunity to take the streets and push an agenda that has less to do with racism and more to do with total social and political upheaval.    The question I haven't been able to answer, is who is the puppet master pulling the strings.