If it is not already published somewhere, it would be interesting to know whether Jung's father ever reflected on his role in the misery of common folk when he was idealistically building the new China in the mould of Maoist communism. When the communist takeover confiscated property from both rich and poor, publicly lynched people based on “class”, and terrorised those who were too slow to follow the Chairman’s whims, it was inevitable for the traditional and civil bonds between people to shatter. When the most important trait for survival became (and still is) the blind loyalty to the Party, his own kindness, reasoning and sense of kinship atrophied to the detriment of his relatives and even his own wife. Sadly, it was little surprise when he tried to reason the Red Guards to re-consider their inhumane actions, that those youngsters had no memory of civility to draw from, and old man Chang in a sense, became a victim of his own success. Instead of just portraying her parents as bystander-victims, Jung’s work would be more complete if she also expanded on how her folks were instrumental in shaping the Maoist China that led to their own sorrows.
This is long before kim jung illness whose willing to make not just COMMUNIST north korea," great again," (thats ronald mcdonald reagan who said it first, not donald duck trump) but to make it a superpower against the United States and great britain. That includes buying more weapons not food for the starving north korean people.
An amazing autobiography and fascinating history of China. Beautifully written, a heartbreaking account of what communism actually does to a society. Human’s turning on human’s they don’t even know, torturing them, starving them…cancelling them out as human’s. It is the end game of WOKE, identity politic’s, and Marxism. An important book to read. Once you start it…you can’t put it down.
With all due respects to this historian and her own experiences of life in China. What she forgets to mention is that we're all caught in different parts and times of history and she happened to be part of one of the sadder and more dramatic part of China's history. The Chinese experiencing and benefitting from the dramatic rise of China in the last 40 years will have a very different perspective much more positive than hers and feel much more appreciative and grateful for what the government has and continues to do for them and the country. " Totalitarian", " Stalinist" etc probably was true during her time but the system has moved on and evolved and Socialism with Chinese characteristics is certainly not what she had experienced and is a totally different world from what she remembers it to be. She's understandably living in and remembering the past in her book. Still, not a bad book. But needs up dating !
@@adagietto2523 loss of human lives is a catastrophe no matter the "scale" of destruction.. you can't justify that by saying that they never killed too much like he did so that's why he's a bad person and they are not 😎
There are many champagne communists in Melbourne. They just don't get it. It only takes a couple of questions to a pretend commie for their embarrassment to drive them to name calling. Then they think you are a baddie. The group think is truly impressive. You have to stand in awe of the programmers.
The present day PRC is unrecognizable from the days of Mao. If you mention him in China today, he is so passe, people think you are being funny, or ironic. The UK liberal elite must be some of the most bizarre people on earth (would UK wish to be reminded of the Opium Wars, and the Irish famine?).The best book on China is unquestionably Dr Kissinger's 'On China.' A very charming authoress.
He resented chinese hertiage and forced people through stravation and controlto justify to Heaven that it was our forfathers will... Such is the eternal judgements Mandate of Heaven, all souls will be judged.
Mao did make a lot of mistakes (even recognized by die hard communists), however, he did make ordinary Chnese as well as the ruling class (through "Rural Communes" and "Cultural Revolution") realize how backward China and Chinese have become both materially as well as in thoughts. Going through continuous dominations (or colonizations) by outside power (Mongols with Yuen Dynasty, Northen non-han people with Ching Dynasty and Warlords and foreigners altogether around 400 years) generations of Chinese have become ignorant of ancient Chinese wisdom and spirit. Through Mao's so called "revolutions", I think latest young Chinese has finally woken up resulting in the energy and 'miracles' of the last 30 years. My view. I am student of 「易經」which teaches how things change and evolve in Nature and in the Universe. So what I am saying is that perhaps without going through Mao's "Period", China and Chinese will not be as strong, dynamic and unified as she is now. 「易經」"s 「前因後果」!!!
Is it? Currently, China is still using Hukuo system, which the so called class system is still existing but just in a different form. Was there a true intention to unified a nation or the real intention was just greed and power? Also killing millions of people couldn't just be explained as 'mistake', prior to the revolution, part of China like Shanghai and Guangdong were already becoming prosperous which were benefiting the 'ordinary' people (common sense economics), like any history and countries, things would change, did it need a massacre to achieve that?
Very interesting interview, however the term "Though leader" is extremely cringeworthy and full of hubris - please don't use that term as I think of anyone who uses that term as an idiot. Anyone qualified to be a "thought leader" would never use the term as they would understand how little they actually know.
