After reading Thirty Years in a Red House, I was again reminded of the importance of bearing witness. Di, like Mandelstam, teaches us that turning a blind eye to persecution hurts both the victims and the society at large. In Hope Against Hope, Mandelstam discusses how fear and intimidation kept the Russian people from speaking out against Stalin's years of atrocities. Di, on the other hand, attributes the Chinese people's reticence to their blind allegiance to Mao. Even when the Chinese people, including the loyal Underground Communists, were confused by Mao's actions, they never thought to question him. Instead, the people questioned themselves and their loyalty to Mao's vision. Di's book is an exploration into the dangerous effects of hero worship on a nation.
In an effort to indoctrinate Chinese youth, the education system focused on Communist teachings and Mao's propaganda. Students were taught to follow, not to think independently, as it was far more important to raise loyal Communists than intellectuals. This type of brainwashing turned a whole generation into mindless members of the Mao cult. Since Mao was beyond reproach, young members of his Red Guard committed acts of violence and cruelty against anyone who could be seen as a threat to Mao, including some of his longest running supporters. These young disciples were taught that preserving Mao's power justified any and all acts of persecution. Mao's systematic indoctrination was so effective that the Red Guard never even questioned his decision to reward their hard work by sending them out to the far reaches of the poverty-stricken countryside. Any decree issued by the god-like Mao was seen as crucial to the Communist cause, a cause more important than any individual. This dedication was so ingrained in the Chinese mindset that "love became taboo" (Di 43). Loyal members of the Red Guard had no time and no need for romantic love. They were not to see themselves as individuals, but soldiers in the fight to preserve Mao's vision of Communism. As Di stated, "One was only allowed to love the country, the Communist Party, and the great leader, Chairman Mao" (43).
As loyal as his young followers were, Mao also enjoyed the allegiance of the older generation. The Underground Communists, the men and women who fought the Japanese during World War II and Chiang Kai-shek during the civil war, were so grateful to the peace and relative prosperity they enjoyed for seventeen years that they were willing to see Mao's Cultural Revolution as a temporary and necessary phase of communism. The fact that many of these Underground Communists had remained loyal to the egalitarian ethos of communism and had done nothing wrong didn't prevent them from blaming themselves for the Cultural Revolution. For example, when Mao began criticizing government officials, Di's parents, modest people who lived to serve the people, "could see some sense in his criticism" (45). Di's parents believed in the importance of community and would never want to abuse their power in any way, whether intentionally or not, so "when they were asked to make self-criticism in public meetings, they did it in earnest" (45). Members of the older generation had "complete trust in the Communist Party and Chairman Mao, and once the idolization of Mao made him a demi-god, people's confidence in themselves lessened" (Di 45). In other words, members of Di's parents' generation were so in awe of Mao that they readily accepted his condemnations.
With both generations under his spell, Mao, like Stalin, managed to destroy any threat to his power for years. The major difference between the two was their differing styles of authoritarianism. Mao created a mythical aura around himself that inspired blind loyalty, while Stalin stamped out dissidents through brutality and intimidation. Both men effectively silenced their people, enabling a cycle of persecution in their countries.
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