China's New Red Guards : The Return of Radicalism and the Rebirth of Mao Zedong

As Jude Blanchette Details In China's New Red Guards, Two Worrying Trends In Contemporary China Point To Maoism's Revival. First, An Increasingly Popular Hard-edged Form Of Nationalism That Is Reflexively Anti-western Has Taken Root. The Second Is An Unapologetic Embrace Of Extreme Authoritarianism That Draws Inspiration From The Maoist Era. China's Assertive Stance In The South China Sea And Anti-japanese Rhetoric Represents The Former, And The Massive Crackdown On Liberal Thought Since Xi Jinping Assumed The Presidency Represents The Latter. The Result Is Plain To See: A More Authoritarian And More Militaristic China. Blanchette Goes Further Than This, Though, Arguing That What We're Seeing Is A Full-fledged Maoist Revival. He Centers His Story Around A Cast Of Nationalist Intellectuals And Activists Who Have Helped Unleash A Wave Of Populist Enthusiasm And Nostalgia For The Great Helmsman's Policies. That, Combined With Xi's Quick Implementation Of A Range Of Authoritarian Policies, Suggests That The Maoist Revival Is Neither Epiphenomenal Nor A Passing Fad. The Ramifications, Blanchette Suggests, Are Clear: Those In The West Who Have Been Predicting Waves Of Democratization And Liberalization Are Living In A Dream World, Blithely Unaware Of Either The Communist Party's Commitment To Authoritarianism Or The Degree Of Its Residual Veneration For The Ccp's Founding Leaders. In Sum, China's New Red Guards Not Only Will Reshape Our Understanding Of The Political Forces Driving Contemporary China, It Also Demonstrates How Ideologies Can Survive And Prosper Despite Pervasive Rumors Of Their Demise-- Collision -- Storm -- China's Not Happy -- Bombard The Headquarters -- Forgetting History Is Betrayal -- Red Nation. Jude Blanchette. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "As Jude Blanchette details in China's New Red Guards, two worrying trends in contemporary China point to Maoism's revival. First, an increasingly popular hard-edged form of nationalism that is reflexively anti-Western has taken root. The second is an unapologetic embrace of extreme authoritarianism that draws inspiration from the Maoist era. China's assertive stance in the South China Sea and anti-Japanese rhetoric represents the former, and the massive crackdown on liberal thought since Xi Jinping assumed the presidency represents the latter. The result is plain to see: a more authoritarian and more militaristic China. Blanchette goes further than this, though, arguing that what we're seeing is a full-fledged Maoist revival. He centers his story around a cast of nationalist intellectuals and activists who have helped unleash a wave of populist enthusiasm and nostalgia for the Great Helmsman's policies. That, combined with Xi's quick implementation of a range of authoritarian policies, suggests that the Maoist revival is neither epiphenomenal nor a passing fad. The ramifications, Blanchette suggests, are clear: those in the West who have been predicting waves of democratization and liberalization are living in a dream world, blithely unaware of either the Communist Party's commitment to authoritarianism or the degree of its residual veneration for the CCP's founding leaders. In sum, China's New Red Guards not only will reshape our understanding of the political forces driving contemporary China, it also demonstrates how ideologies can survive and prosper despite pervasive rumors of their demise"-- Provided by publisher Ever since Deng Xiaoping effectively de-radicalized China in the 1980s, there have been many debates about which path China would follow. Would it democratize? Would it embrace capitalism? Would the Communist Party's rule be able to withstand the adoption and spread of the Internet? One debate that did not occur in any serious way, however, was whether Mao Zedong would make a political comeback. As Jude Blanchette details in China's New Red Guards , contemporary China is undergoing a revival of an unapologetic embrace of extreme authoritarianism that draws direct inspiration from the Mao era. Under current Chinese leader Xi Jinping, state control over the economy is increasing, civil society is under sustained attack, and the CCP is expanding its reach in unprecedented new ways. As Xi declared in late 2017, "Government, military, society and schools, north, south, east and west-the party is the leader of all." But this trend is reinforced by a bottom-up revolt against Western ideas of modernity, including political pluralism, the rule of law, and the free market economy. Centered around a cast of nationalist intellectuals and activists who have helped unleash a wave of populist enthusiasm for the Great Helmsman's policies, China's New Red Guards not only will reshape our understanding of the political forces driving contemporary China, it will also demonstrate how ideologies can survive and prosper despite pervasive rumors of their demise.