few years ago, I had the chance to talk with someone who had lived through Mao’s cultural revolution. One of the defining aspects of that time in China was the use, or should I say abuse, of struggle sessions.
During these struggle sessions, people were accused of being “class enemies,” accused, publicly humiliated, and frequently beaten and tortured. These sessions were often staged and scripted, even bringing in agitators to incite the crowds.
Sadly, Mao’s struggle sessions have arrived in the United States. But not where and by whom you may be thinking.
Communists have been coming for America for decades. Today, it appears they have been far more successful than we had thought. If you haven’t watched the 1983 interview with Yuri Bezmenov, I highly suggest it. But Mr. Bezmenov talked about Soviet infiltration of the United States; today, I’m talking about something else.
One of the key tools of Mao’s Cultural Revolution was the “Struggle Session.” These staged and scripted events were designed to publicly humiliate political opponents and often involved both public shaming and forced “apologies” to their alleged victims. And now, these horrible abuses of power have made their way to the United States Congress.
Remember when, in an alleged hearing, Rep. Elise Stefanik publicly humiliated three university Presidents in an attempt to get them to give her the answer she wanted? Then there was Sens. Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Marsha Blackburn, and others who brought in social media CEOs for their own public shaming. By far, the worst offender was Sen. Josh Hawley, who not only badgered Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg but bullied him into a public apology for what other people had done on his platform.
I have no love for the university presidents or the social media CEOs. But when the United States Congress looks more like the street “justice” of Mao’s China, then there is something seriously wrong in Washington, D.C.
