Gas chamber, hanging, firing squad, drowning, stravation...what does it matter? Murder is murder and dead is dead. Both men killed but Mao did it in the dozens of millions.
2
Mao knowingly allowed 36 million men women and children to starve to death during the great famine of 1958 to 1962. His cadres beat, tortured, and killed thousands in a futile attempt to force peasants to give up "hidden grain" that did not exist; CCP documents attest to this fact. His anti-rightist campaigns destroyed the moral underpinnings of Chinese society and turned everyone against everyone, where people were willing to lie about others to save themselves. Now Chinese society is amoral, and has no compunction to do whatever they want, in the name of profit.
People, and especially children were lying on the side of the road, dead, and decaying. Children that begged the communal kitchens for food were taken far off into the hills and left to die of starvation and exposure to the elements. Do not believe it, just read about the Xinyang incident, which was the precursor of all the other brutal, inhumane travesties that followed. Read Tombstone, by Yang Jisheng.
Xi Jinping, in is effort to kiss the backsides of the Mao worshipers, combined with his consolidation of power, and his severe oppression of all those that challenge him, has become just like Mao and Hitler; evil, uncaring, and inhuman.
Christoph Rehage is therefore, right on target with his comparison of Hitler and Mao; however, he did not go far enough; he needs to include Xi Jinping in his analysis.
People, and especially children were lying on the side of the road, dead, and decaying. Children that begged the communal kitchens for food were taken far off into the hills and left to die of starvation and exposure to the elements. Do not believe it, just read about the Xinyang incident, which was the precursor of all the other brutal, inhumane travesties that followed. Read Tombstone, by Yang Jisheng.
Xi Jinping, in is effort to kiss the backsides of the Mao worshipers, combined with his consolidation of power, and his severe oppression of all those that challenge him, has become just like Mao and Hitler; evil, uncaring, and inhuman.
Christoph Rehage is therefore, right on target with his comparison of Hitler and Mao; however, he did not go far enough; he needs to include Xi Jinping in his analysis.
5
What is frustrating is why does it take soooo loooong for Westerners to figure Communist China out?????
All East Asians know the PRC for what it is, decades ago, since 1949.
All East Asians know the PRC for what it is, decades ago, since 1949.
5
Just out of curiosity....does anyone know whether any of the Rupert Murdoch-owned mouthpieces around the world covered this story? He's been kowtowing to the Chinese Communist Party for years now, in hopes of expanding his profits in Hong Kong and China.
4
He says "...neither leader, he argued, could have cared less about his people." Simply not true. Nevertheless, passion writ huge poses grave dangers. Being very right about one thing does not translate into being right about everything. Historical examples are legion, from Mohammed to Napoleon.
3
"They require Internet users to respect China’s laws, state interests, socialist values, moral standards, social order, people’s rights and the truth."
If we apply Zhu Wei's broad interpretation of the Internet Sovereignty law, pretty much all Western media and sometimes even Hong Kong press are in violation. We consistently report on China's "sensitive" issues that harm its state interests and "destabilize" social order (i.e. commemorating Tiananmen 1989; Princeling stories; Sichuan Earthquakes and Schools). As usual, the CCP tries to scare and intimidate at the individual, person-to-person level in order to keep people in line. Given China's global influence, is it only a matter of time before corporate intimidation and full suppression of "sensitive" reporting by foreign journalists is implemented?
What is more concerning is the reach of China's police enforcement. With the recent disappearances of controversial Hong Kong booksellers rumored to be associated with the government, I am concerned about the party's disregard of its borders, both physically and in cyberspace. How far will the party go to maintain stability and state interests? Does this include enforcement outside its own borders with possible violation of foreign laws in order to carry out its agenda? Does it include content on already censored media (like Google and Youtube)? Lots of unanswered questions...
If we apply Zhu Wei's broad interpretation of the Internet Sovereignty law, pretty much all Western media and sometimes even Hong Kong press are in violation. We consistently report on China's "sensitive" issues that harm its state interests and "destabilize" social order (i.e. commemorating Tiananmen 1989; Princeling stories; Sichuan Earthquakes and Schools). As usual, the CCP tries to scare and intimidate at the individual, person-to-person level in order to keep people in line. Given China's global influence, is it only a matter of time before corporate intimidation and full suppression of "sensitive" reporting by foreign journalists is implemented?
What is more concerning is the reach of China's police enforcement. With the recent disappearances of controversial Hong Kong booksellers rumored to be associated with the government, I am concerned about the party's disregard of its borders, both physically and in cyberspace. How far will the party go to maintain stability and state interests? Does this include enforcement outside its own borders with possible violation of foreign laws in order to carry out its agenda? Does it include content on already censored media (like Google and Youtube)? Lots of unanswered questions...
4
Only the Chinese Communist Party could be so ridiculous as to think they have the right to reach into the virtual world and control the actions of others. They can do it in China through their willingness to ignore the laws they themselves pass - and pass laws that any democratic society would reject - and do whatever they deem necessary to retain power, but how do they plan to do it across the world?
5
I am a Chinese guy. Every time before I post something on social networking site (like Weibo) and I have to make sure the contents of my post do not contain any criticism to anything of gov's policy. So, lots of people didn't talk about the politics(especially about China) in public and social networking site. There's big fan of gov and they can inform you if you say something bad about the gov. Also, they abuse public figures who say nothing good about country. I think no one is safe here(include leaders and entrepreneur). Shame!!
22
The West would do well to pay attention to these crazy responses and to take them seriously; because the spreading influence of the CCP means, first and foremost, the repression of free speech outside the borders of China. It's frightening, but it's also quite real. This is hardly the first episode -- recall the DDoS attack that was mounted against github as a punishment for the latter's mirroring of the NYTimes.
2
Elsewhere in the New York times it's reported that a 120-ft golden statue of Mao was just erected by a private businessman, and then torn down on the orders of local officials ... as unseemly, particularly in a province that Mao's famine hurt badly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/world/asia/china-mao-statue-henan.html...
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/09/world/asia/china-mao-statue-henan.html...
4
Comparing Mao to Hitler is historically wrong on many levels. Mao's Great Leap was a social policy that was designed to uplift the Chinese people but failed due to unscientific methods and mass lower officials lying about the actual effects (they don't want to disappoint him so they made up numbers and hid many bad reports including starvation). He didn't intentionally starved his people unlike Hitler's policy of ethnic cleansing or blame the people for his own failure. As a result, he was voted off as the Chairman for his mistakes after 3 years. What he is guilty of is starting the Cultural Revolution after that to get back his power using brainwashed regular people who idolized him against his political opponents and continued his wrong social policies to a bigger scale.
Those who never studied this period academically just repeat hearsay without knowing the events that led, occurred, and the aftermath of Great Leap Forward. Ignorance breed ignorant like many China bashers and this Germany blogger.
Those who never studied this period academically just repeat hearsay without knowing the events that led, occurred, and the aftermath of Great Leap Forward. Ignorance breed ignorant like many China bashers and this Germany blogger.
3
I believe that if you read the article carefully, the author of comments makes an explicit statement that his comparison can only be made as as "generalization", not 'factualization" at a detailed level. So, as you rightfully note, at a detailed factual level, the comparisons are not applicable.
2
My goodness, such excuses. There is a reason why the lower level officials hid the failure from him. They could not question his policies. People who opposed his policies were tortured to death, drowned in excrement along with their families, and had cables run through one ear, through their brain, and out the other ear to hang them up. Even before defeating Chiang to take power, Mao had tortured dissident communists to death. How can you say the lower level lying was not his fault?
Every Leninist communist government has punished or killed those who questioned its policies as saboteurs. Their ideology says it must work. So when it doesn't, it is proof of sabotage.
Every Leninist communist government has punished or killed those who questioned its policies as saboteurs. Their ideology says it must work. So when it doesn't, it is proof of sabotage.
7
So now there is no freedom of speech not only inside China but also outside China, not only for Chinese citizens but also for non-Chinese?
Chinese arrogance is unheard of.
Chinese arrogance is unheard of.
10
Mr. Rehage, we will have to live with the totalitarian oppression of Communist China for a long time, no end in sight soon. Thank you for your courage to say the truth. It's going to be a very long haul.
10
Igor Golomstock's book "Totalitarian Art" (2011) makes it quite clear that Hitler, Mao and Stalin presented themselves in near-identical imagery as godlike saviours, ruling by terror while propagating absurd and extreme personality cults. In Mao's case, his "Thoughts", aka the Little Red Book, were read to the crops to make them grow better, and table tennis teams carrying out "ping-pong diplomacy" made a show of studying the Thoughts of Mao before their matches. School children were taught to dream of how wonderful it would be if they could give their lives to extend the life of Chairman Mao by one additional minute. He was in fact responsible for the death of millions of people. Even the Chinese Communist Party has to admit that he was "one-third wrong", even if it still clings to the preposterous claim that he was "two-thirds right". In short, life in China under Mao in the 1960s was like life in North Korea today. To compare Mao to Hitler is an apt comparison and it would probably be conventional wisdom in China today if the country were not still ruled by Mao's own party.
14
How can the US protest other countries actions in "apprehending" alleged "criminals" in other countries, even by means such kidnap and rendition? The US has been a leading exponent of extraterritorial law, and illegal rendition, over the last one hundred years. The US has lost any claim to moral superiority through its own actions. Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.
Flawed argument based on emotionalism, not facts.
2
The sad thing is that these defenders of Mao would be imprisoned by Mao as traitors to the Chinese people and the revolution. The inequality, bribery, and corruption in China would make Mao cry. All of those deaths to bring equality to the Chinese people for nothing. People always die in revolutions but this revolution was sold out as soon as Mao died.
2
Mao, himself, sold out the revolution. Mao was directly responsible for the 70+ million deaths that occurred between 1949 and 1976, vis-s-vis his demented policies. 36 million during the Great Famine, and the rest during various purges and the Cultural revolution. Madam Mao and the Gang of Four were just as bad, and contributed their fair share to the brutal misery that the Chinese people had to endure. How anyone can ever praise an inhuman tyrant like Mao is beyond comprehension, and the epitome of irrational thinking.
2
It's important to know that most chinese commenters are none other than really bored PLA members who have access to youtube, facebook, yahoo, etc. Their job is to read online commentary and act like the wumao 50 cent brigade. Yes, there are lots of volunteers and paid trolls out there, but the PLA can easily be mobilized like a military unit to take down posts offensive to the CCP.
8
You obviously are not suspicious of yourself being brainwashed completely and unknowingly.
The primary reason to learn Chinese and their history is to see how they can be useful to us, not to tell THEM what they were deadly wrong and how to do what going forward. It's so easy to fall into the trap to believe you or our system are superior. We are better right now because of many reasons but who truly believe we can still be better 200 years later?
The primary reason to learn Chinese and their history is to see how they can be useful to us, not to tell THEM what they were deadly wrong and how to do what going forward. It's so easy to fall into the trap to believe you or our system are superior. We are better right now because of many reasons but who truly believe we can still be better 200 years later?
1
Why because China is the world largest economy, thanks yo the legacy set by Mao? Are you jealous? Notice every accusations against Mao is from one single source, or a couple of source with no evidence backing it up, if Mao did kill millions on purpose, how the heck could China have 1.4 billion people today? You know accusations have to be based on logic and available evidence, not manipulated emotions. Those who blame Mao, are not actually anti Mao, they hate China, and how successful China have become, this is what most Chinese understand, Mao is just a target, but the main target is anti Chinese resentment and jealousy.
2
Good grief! The River Crabs are sending 50 Centers outside the Great Firewall in search of Grass Mud Horses!
"how the heck could China have 1.4 billion people today?" How about Mao paying for larger families? Plus, there wasn't much going on after daylight during the cultural revolution, so there was a baby boom.
More to the point, the 80 million Communists are no more "China" than were the Ching, Ming, Sung or Tang dynasties, but they share lots of the same characteristics.
"how the heck could China have 1.4 billion people today?" How about Mao paying for larger families? Plus, there wasn't much going on after daylight during the cultural revolution, so there was a baby boom.
More to the point, the 80 million Communists are no more "China" than were the Ching, Ming, Sung or Tang dynasties, but they share lots of the same characteristics.
5
China was the most populous country in the world before Mao. Its share of world population has dropped since. Clearly, 50-centers are not taught much history before the first McDonalds.
7
Congratulations on earning 50 cents! "...if Mao did kill millions on purpose, how the heck could China have 1.4 billion people today?" Because the birth rates were so high. Millions out of billions is a small percentage. My mother is Chinese, and she comes from a family of 10 children. That wasn't unusual in China back then.
Mao, like any revolutionary, was not entirely good nor entirely bad. There was a reason Mao came into power--people were suffering so much before Mao that they were willing to take a risk on him. You can't rule out the possibility that there would have been the same or more deaths and suffering if things had stayed the same.
Part of evolving after a revolution is to realize that certain things espoused by the revolutionary aren't appropriate. Maybe they never were, or maybe they were previously but are not appropriate anymore.
Look no further than modern day China. I have a feeling Mao would be horrified to see many phenomena that have arisen or been implemented.
Mao, like any revolutionary, was not entirely good nor entirely bad. There was a reason Mao came into power--people were suffering so much before Mao that they were willing to take a risk on him. You can't rule out the possibility that there would have been the same or more deaths and suffering if things had stayed the same.
Part of evolving after a revolution is to realize that certain things espoused by the revolutionary aren't appropriate. Maybe they never were, or maybe they were previously but are not appropriate anymore.
Look no further than modern day China. I have a feeling Mao would be horrified to see many phenomena that have arisen or been implemented.
4
Does the Chinese government realize that their actions will probably made this video a widely sought bootleg in China, and that magnitudes more people both in and outside China will see it, than if they had left Christoph Rehage alone?
7
And China is the country we entrust all our manufacturing to? Mao did kill millions of people with extremely misguided political thinking. Am I going to jail in China now? Do I have to worry when I walk down the street in NYC that the Chinese are going to come get me? Mao killed his own people, millions and millions of them, hear that China!? The old American phrase from the 50's - 70's of "eat your food, they're starving in China," didn't come about by accident. Walmart, Target, JC Penny, Amazon & China all in bed together. Watch what you say, freedom of speech is now limited not to offend our big trading partner that run totalitarian countries with laws & values completely opposite than ours. Not to mention have to prop up their military with money so our military industrial complex has reason to gobble up our money.
19
A Chinese friend of mine who comes from a well-placed family in Beijing tells me that she was told the opposite as a child: "Eat up your food, think of the starving poor in the capitalist countries."
1
As someone who grew up in the fifties I don't think that the eat your food meme was focused on China at the time. Korea and later Biafra were the main candidates, though China I believe was a popular reference in the War Lord period of the 20's. succeeding Europe in the aftermath of WWI.
1
The "Seven Bottom Lines"... Along with picking quarrels and provoking trouble, and hooliganism... I think there are some deep and very dark opium dens over there where someone is having a great time making this stuff up.
13
LOL, yeah why aren't they offering those dens as place westerners can travel to for extended vacation and make up political thought phrases.
3
Close to the truth; congratulations to Mr. Rehage.
It's about time the bullying dictators of China (and elsewhere) got slapped in the face. Let them issue their pathetic threats. Just don't ever go to their countries (who would want to, anyway?).
It's about time the bullying dictators of China (and elsewhere) got slapped in the face. Let them issue their pathetic threats. Just don't ever go to their countries (who would want to, anyway?).
26
Christoph Rehage's ordeal reminds me of that of Salman Rushdie, who enraged Iran with his "Satanic Verses." In February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader of Iran, issued a fatwa urging for Rushdie's execution. But Rehage and Rushdie are not at all in the same league.
Nevertheless this zealous patriotism that the Communist Youth Net embraces is scary. Its members can't tolerate any "blaspheming" of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.
We live in an age of intolerance. In Europe we saw Islamist terrorists slaughtered journalists at Charlie Hebdo a year ago, because they didn't respect the revered Prophet Muhammad.
Nevertheless this zealous patriotism that the Communist Youth Net embraces is scary. Its members can't tolerate any "blaspheming" of Mao Zedong, the founder of the People's Republic of China.
We live in an age of intolerance. In Europe we saw Islamist terrorists slaughtered journalists at Charlie Hebdo a year ago, because they didn't respect the revered Prophet Muhammad.
17
Rather than compare Mao to Hitler, perhaps a more apt comparison is ISIS/ISIL/Da'esh. Mao and his henchmen/women ruthlessly sought out anyone that deviated even slightly from their austere form of Communism, and it especially included academics or anyone with any hint of Western influence.Public humiliations and mass executions were common in Mao's China.The similarities to ISIS and their campaign against both moderate Muslims and Westerners is striking.
Mao and his followers not only killed millions of fellow Chinese, but they destroyed much of China's ancient historical artifacts during the Cultural Revolution, much like how ISIS is destroying any non Islamic artifacts in Syria.
Mao and his followers not only killed millions of fellow Chinese, but they destroyed much of China's ancient historical artifacts during the Cultural Revolution, much like how ISIS is destroying any non Islamic artifacts in Syria.
23
Great point. To further the thought they're now behaving like ISIS by having the government threaten a private citizen in another country for what they merely said about their "do no wrong" idol.
5
Poor Mr Rehage! That silly German man. Doesn't he know that the Chinese Communist party is omniscient?
10
China, the land of hypocrites and paper tigers.
Thieves of intellectual property rights and imitators of everything.
(And by the way, I live in Ridgewood , NJ if you want me)
Thieves of intellectual property rights and imitators of everything.
(And by the way, I live in Ridgewood , NJ if you want me)
18
Hitler didn't eat his dogs.
11
He didn't eat any meat, but let's raise the bar.
3
Christof is an amazing fellow that knows a lot about China from the grassroots. He walked all the way from Beijing to close to the western border of China. He knows China like few non-Chinese do. He is also fearless - unlike many academics who fear displeasing Beijing.
12
Along with China's claim that the U.S. is responsible for North Korea's nuclear weapons development, this article clearly shows how much China is distorted and truly undemocratic country in the world. China should be defined as the genuine "axis of evil," topping North Korea, Cuba and Iran.
18
Mr. Rehage's comparison is not entirely off the point: In terms of the number of deaths caused by Mao Zedong to Chinese civilians, both during the Chinese civil war in the 1945-1949 period, and since the founding of "PRC" in 1949, Mao Zedong's responsibility is indisputable: Among other historic deadly mass incidents that occurred on his watch, Mao Zedong single-handedly launched the "Great Leap Forward" in the 1950s, in which millions of Chinese civilians reportedly starved to death. While Hitler was equally responsible for the hundreds of thousands of deaths suffered by German citizens during World War II, the united Germany has since reconciled with that historical fact as part of its recent history: To my knowledge, while Germany has done everything possible to erase Hitler's trace from its World War II landmarks, "PRC" has preserved Mao Zedong's dead body in an imperial tomb to preserve his legacy as the founder of "PRC". If Mr. Rehage's comparison has to be refined according to the official standards of "PRC" in order to evade "punishment under Chinese law", it is perhaps in Mr. Rehage's best interests to go back to "PRC" to study its "laws" for a degree, so that the next time he decides to post another video online about Mao Zedong, whoever is to be the point of comparison next time, Mr. Rehage will be in a better position to self-censor the video's contents according to such "Chinese law" in order not to endanger his safety when he lands in "PRC" at any future time.
5
Americans should thank their lucky stars that freedom of speech and separation of church and State are cherished rights. For all the grumblings about American politics and culture across the globe and all stupid religious conflicts based on superstitions and supernatural beliefs, I' much rather be a USA citizen then one from China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, North Korea, Syria, Palestine, Iran, etc.
13
Whoa there, setting the bar a little high there aren't you?
3
The dystopian authority demonstrated by the Chinese government in this case highlights how precious our right to free speech is, here in the United States and elsewhere. Freedom of expression is not a "cultural thing" as often touted by those who fear losing authoritarian control. It's a basic human right. For all our warts, and there are many, I feel fortunate to live in a country that at least recognizes this right as a fundamental principle of everyday life.
28
We in the U.S. most certainly are fortunate.
Compare and contrast this story to the one currently playing out at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon where armed anti gov militants have seized control of the facilities headquarters. How does our gov respond? They're simply waiting for them to leave and allowing the local law officials and folks in the community to persuade them to abandon the cause. They will most likely be punished but I don't think there will be any firing squads or beheadings. Yes, freedom of speech is a right but it does have some bounds. Civil protest and our legal system provide the paths for change. I suppose this group of fanatics think armed rebellion is another method. The fact that our government tolerates this sort of behavior says a lot about how comfortable we are with dissent and with the freedom to express ourselves.
Compare and contrast this story to the one currently playing out at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon where armed anti gov militants have seized control of the facilities headquarters. How does our gov respond? They're simply waiting for them to leave and allowing the local law officials and folks in the community to persuade them to abandon the cause. They will most likely be punished but I don't think there will be any firing squads or beheadings. Yes, freedom of speech is a right but it does have some bounds. Civil protest and our legal system provide the paths for change. I suppose this group of fanatics think armed rebellion is another method. The fact that our government tolerates this sort of behavior says a lot about how comfortable we are with dissent and with the freedom to express ourselves.
1
Coincidentally, I just finished reading Pearl Buck's superb book, "Kinfolk" last night. It gave me insight into China just before Mao took power, where part of China was already under the Communists, but not yet all of it.
The traditional life of the peasant had become untenable because of corruption. Ms. Buck points out that something drastic had to happen to shake China out of its peasant's lethargy and inertia. She does not advocate Mao, in fact, he is not even mentioned, only the vague term "the Communists" is referred to as a specter in the distance by the uncomprehending peasants involved in her story.
What she does say is that something drastic had to happen to change the desperate inertia, degenerating over four thousand years of its history.
Mao, of course, shook China seismically. Was he a hero or a villain (30 million dead and and the horror of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966)? All that can be said is he changed things profoundly as any powerful leader with psychopathic tendencies does, including Hitler.
What she does predict is that what will happen is that one despotic rule will probably replace another.
"Kinfolk" (and "Dragon Seed") will give you a very clear picture, often very sympathetic, but warts and all, of the Chinese peasants and their masters. It seems not much as changed - but hygiene seems to have improved.
The traditional life of the peasant had become untenable because of corruption. Ms. Buck points out that something drastic had to happen to shake China out of its peasant's lethargy and inertia. She does not advocate Mao, in fact, he is not even mentioned, only the vague term "the Communists" is referred to as a specter in the distance by the uncomprehending peasants involved in her story.
What she does say is that something drastic had to happen to change the desperate inertia, degenerating over four thousand years of its history.
Mao, of course, shook China seismically. Was he a hero or a villain (30 million dead and and the horror of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution in 1966)? All that can be said is he changed things profoundly as any powerful leader with psychopathic tendencies does, including Hitler.
What she does predict is that what will happen is that one despotic rule will probably replace another.
"Kinfolk" (and "Dragon Seed") will give you a very clear picture, often very sympathetic, but warts and all, of the Chinese peasants and their masters. It seems not much as changed - but hygiene seems to have improved.
4
Mao was one of 22 or 24 senior leaders of the communist party who``shook China seismically'' - he did not do this by himself. The others were all trained in the west - largely France - including Zhu En-Lai. When after the revolution the others were trying to focus on development Mao became nervous that the credit for the revolution would go to these ``technocrats''. Hence the slogan of ``continuous revolution'' - which was directed against Zhu's policies (and those of Zhu's protege Liu Shaoqi)
1
Mao certainly was responsible for a higher death toll than Hitler. And Mao cared less for his own people, shrugging off the prospect of 100 million Chinese dying in nuclear exchanges. Only in the final stages of the war did Hitler approach that level of indifference for his own people, when he said that the Russians had proven themselves stronger and Germany had failed him and no longer had a right to live, ordering the total destruction of all infrastructure to try to prevent any future for anyone, including Germans, on German territory.
8
"They require Internet users to respect China’s laws, state interests, socialist values, moral standards, social order, people’s rights and the truth."
So, then, by those "rules", one of the major US petroleum corps I do labelling design work for, which has a CONSTANT issue with counterfeiting in China (mainly through digital theft of label design files... via... you guessed it... the INTERNET), should be paid due recompense, right?
IP theft via the internet is China's #1 way to "innovate".
So, then, by those "rules", one of the major US petroleum corps I do labelling design work for, which has a CONSTANT issue with counterfeiting in China (mainly through digital theft of label design files... via... you guessed it... the INTERNET), should be paid due recompense, right?
IP theft via the internet is China's #1 way to "innovate".
17
He broke the Chinese law, as long as he never returns to China, he will be fine, what he does is tasteless obviously, and it will reflect badly on the Germans.
2
Spoken by a true "50 center!"
18
China One sided rights regime extends its reach to whatever they think the world should kowtow but when it is reversed then China is the innocent victim. The double standard and hypocrisy is non pareil.
13
Really? So, what one person says and does reflects on the entire country of Germany, but what an entire Government and many followers do for China, in the form of direct agresive threats, and desire to imprison this man is not.
What planet are you from?
What planet are you from?
2
I think the New york Times, itself, and its many readers should all make the "subjective," but factually correct, statement that Mao is China's Hitler. They can't get all of us, can they? Maybe they'll take some radical steps like forcing our patriotic multinational corporations to return some of our jobs to America.
9
He's right of course. Suggest Mr. Rehage revises his holiday destination.
18
It's just "free speech" and FREEDOM to express personal ideas and beliefs etc ..... it is LEGALLY PROTECTED RIGHT in the modern World --- again, it's a LEGAL RIGHT.
and it's very sad to see Chinese young people STILL believe a Government should PUNISH someone for saying or thinking
still very backward..
(FREE THINKING is a good thing--- leads to discovery invention advancement)
and it's very sad to see Chinese young people STILL believe a Government should PUNISH someone for saying or thinking
still very backward..
(FREE THINKING is a good thing--- leads to discovery invention advancement)
14
It's in the US Constitution, but we take for granted that it's not in most countries. Germany, China, don't have freedom of speech guaranteed in their constitution.
1
The Chinese government ought to request that Mao Tze Dung has "the right to be forgotten" in Europe - this way no criticism of Mao would get from Europe to China. It would also demonstrate how ridiculous that law is.
9
Mao WAS China's version of Hitler. Many millions will agree with that assertion. Leave it to the Chinese to insist that other countries punish their citizens for free speech, just as they do. Appalling.
38
Mao belongs in a coffin, along with Hitler, Stalin, Tito, Milosevic, Idi Amin, Papa Doc, Juan Peron, Fidel Castro, etc., etc. I see the Chinese government is currently dismantling a giant golden statue of Mao, in a remote province, thanks to exposure from the internet. Yay! Power to the actual people, the real population.
6
I would assume that the dismantling has more to do with it being a golden Mao than it being simply Mao. There are Mao statues on college campuses across China.
Mao was a murderer, yet like all victorious leaders he had the ability to revise history.
Everyone knows that " History is written by the victors ", Chinese peasants and the Russian serfs were set in their ways, the German people were literate and united.
And so these leaders, now deemed great, killed and slaughtered their way to power. By the tens of millions,their fellowmen died. Collateral damage of history. Almost forgotten, like the Comfort Women in the Second World War, history has a way of overlooking the unscrupulous atrocities that are visited upon people just living their lives.
So, to compare Mao as another bloodthirsty dictator would be accurate.
Everyone knows that " History is written by the victors ", Chinese peasants and the Russian serfs were set in their ways, the German people were literate and united.
And so these leaders, now deemed great, killed and slaughtered their way to power. By the tens of millions,their fellowmen died. Collateral damage of history. Almost forgotten, like the Comfort Women in the Second World War, history has a way of overlooking the unscrupulous atrocities that are visited upon people just living their lives.
So, to compare Mao as another bloodthirsty dictator would be accurate.
27
"History is written by the victors" Well, go to any bookshop in Tokyo and see what you can find out about Japanese wartime atrocities - or any in depth analysis for that matter of Japan's role in WWII.
3
"Mao WAS China's version of Hitler."
Between them, Mao and Stalin killed at least four times (50 million) people as did Hitler (12 million) yet when asked most people will name Hitler as the biggest mass murderer in history. Is this due to the left wing mass media covering up for the communists?
Between them, Mao and Stalin killed at least four times (50 million) people as did Hitler (12 million) yet when asked most people will name Hitler as the biggest mass murderer in history. Is this due to the left wing mass media covering up for the communists?
9
Is that a real question Charles? Maybe I'm way off base here but my guess would be that it's because 1. Hitler both attacked other countries and was responsible for the most horrifying industrialized mass-murder in history and 2. While Mao was undoubtedly horrible, the number of deaths is disputed and there is a good deal of disagreement about exactly how much responsibility he should assume for them considering that, for example, everyone was lying about producton numbers. I mean, it's easy to just say that Mao=Hitler, but I would say that much of the death toll was due largely to certain Chinese brands of dysfunction that persist to this day, such as the low priority that truth is given.
4
China is clearly crossing a number of lines here. There is no way they can be allowed to punish foreigners living abroad. It is bad enough they punish their own citizens for speaking their minds.
44
Um, you arent quite getting it. This is simply intimidation -- and it worked. Rehage wont visit China now. etc. China is talking about "laws" because if Rehage visits China he might find himself in trouble.
2
I get it. This intimidation can cut both ways. If Rehage is murdered in China, Germany could and should find a way to punish China. What is also possible is that China commands individuals to kill or kidnap Rehage within Germany. China is clearly kidnapping Hong Kongers, and the implication from this article is that China could go further afield to silence critics.
3
@anon: I hope you don't mean to imply that countries should never be allowed to "punish foreigners living abroad," since there's nothing inherently wrong with that. For example, if someone living in Nigeria sends spam that swindles Americans out of their money or a Ukrainian hacker targets a virus to infect Americans' computers, you better believe that when he arrives on US soil the feds will be eager to arrest him. Foreign drug traffickers are often extradited to the US. And so on. I'm no legal expert, so I don't know whether Rehage's actions make him vulnerable to Chinese law--I hope not, since I believe that free speech ought to be protected--but in general it's certainly possible for countries to punish foreigners living abroad, assuming they legally gain custody of him first of course, which is what I assume was meant.
1
The Chinese response is genuinely astonishing.
My parents would say "Dont poke the bear" and that really applies here.
My parents would say "Dont poke the bear" and that really applies here.
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Always, always, poke the bear.
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If we do not "poke the bear" then nothing will change. This is why the Chinese people have been enslaved for most of their existence; first by the emperors, then by the CCP. Freedom requires sacrifice, and most of the Chinese people would rather live in a gilded cage than poke the bear. I prefer freedom, at any cost. This is not extremism, or some form of vice, but a cherished, and deep-love of "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness", to borrow an excellent phrase.
1
anyone as another Hitler. At least Mao didn't send anyone to gas chamber, like
6 million Jews in Germany under Hitler.