"China: The Roots of Madness" (1967). Worth Watching Documentary

[Meengla]

YouTube's algorithm guided me last night to this documentary about the modern China. Before watching this, I had only a vague idea about the modern China. Movies like 'The Last Emperor' helped some but the names like Chiang Kai Shek and Mao etc were vaguely familiar. This documentary helps a lot understanding those characters as well as China's rise from the utter depth. And I can't help anger toward the Japanese imperialism after watching this!! And I think Americans like George Marshall as shown in this documentary were fairly decent people, compared with what followed--the Neo Cons.

This documentary was made in 1967, at the height of the Cold War, and China-America relationship, which began in early 1970s, was not even there. Beware though: This is a typical Western perspective. A bare mention of China's increased productivity and the budding revival and sidestepping the morality of the Opium War. But still well worth watching.

 

[beijingwalker]

YouTube's algorithm guided me last night to this documentary about the modern China. Before watching this, I had only a vague idea about the modern China. Movies like 'The Last Emperor' helped some but the names like Chiang Kai Shek and Mao etc were vaguely familiar. This documentary helps a lot understanding those characters as well as China's rise from the utter depth. And I can't help anger toward the Japanese imperialism after watching this!! And I think Americans like George Marshall as shown in this documentary were fairly decent people, compared with what followed--the Neo Cons.

This documentary was made in 1967, at the height of the Cold War, and China-America relationship, which began in early 1970s, was not even there. Beware though: This is a typical Western perspective. A bare mention of China's increased productivity and the budding revival and sidestepping the morality of the Opium War. But still well worth watching.

The biggest contribution of Mao was reuniting a badly war torn, divisive and fragmented nation under one strong centralised government again after a century's wars and chaos, this was the base and foundation for any meaningful of development and growth.

 

[Meengla]

The biggest contribution of Mao was reuniting a badly war torn, divisive and fragmented nation under one strong centralised government again after a century's wars and chaos, this was the base and foundation for any meaningful of development and growth.

I think Chiang Kai Shek also fought hard for China. I don't know why the 'Nationalists' like him felt like that 'Communists' were bigger threat then the occupying and pillaging ruthless Japanese? Was Chiang too much under the influence of his Western oriented wife? The video kind of alludes to that in the beginning.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

I think Chiang Kai Shek also fought hard for China. I don't know why the 'Nationalists' like him felt like that 'Communists' were bigger threat then the occupying and pillaging ruthless Japanese? Was Chiang too much under the influence of his Western oriented wife? The video kind of alludes to that in the beginning.

Because the Japanese were just a short-term problem while the Communists were a long-term one.

 

[Song Hong]

I think Chiang Kai Shek also fought hard for China. I don't know why the 'Nationalists' like him felt like that 'Communists' were bigger threat then the occupying and pillaging ruthless Japanese? Was Chiang too much under the influence of his Western oriented wife? The video kind of alludes to that in the beginning.

Chiang represents a large part of top elites. They cannot mobilize the people. Mao is a combination of peasant leaning elites and peasants. People supported Mao.

Many atrocities of communist are exaggerated. The truth is communist need to take the wealth of the rich -- and this needs to shed some blood. The rich hate communist. You do not go around and persuade the rich to forgo things. It wont work. What Mao and colleague did was go a kill a few evil guys and the rest of the rich trembles and submitted themselves.

 

[Meengla]

Because the Japanese were just a short-term problem while the Communists were a long-term one.

Bolded part.
Maybe the 'Communists' were a long term solution!

The truth is communist need to take the wealth of the rich -- and this needs to shed some blood. The rich hate communist. You do not go around and persuade the rich to forgo things. It wont work.

Correct.
People will take if they can take, where they can take, when they can, what they can, regardless of how they would take, to improve their 'situation' in life.

 

[chinasun]

Self-Strengthening Movement - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The Westernization Movement sent a large number of overseas students to Japan and Europe. Learn Japanese and European history, culture, science, and institutions extensively. Find a way for China to strengthen itself.After returning to China, these overseas students founded new schools and newspapers. Hope to change China ideologically.

May Fourth Movement - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The May Fourth Movement completely changed China ideologically. The modern intellectual elite has become the thought leader of China. But this is contrary to the Confucian Mandate of Heaven. This eventually led to the Cultural Revolution in 1967.The May 4th Movement pointed out the direction (two directions) for China, and reached a consensus on the ideological and cultural transformation of China.

天命 - 維基百科，自由的百科全書

zh.m.wikipedia.org

 

[FuturePAF]

Reminds me of reading about the “Who lost China” debates and of this video I didn’t get a chance to watch. Guess with the focus filling on China, the back and forth in the propaganda war will bring up that period.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Bolded part.
Maybe the 'Communists' were a long term solution!

Well the Communists aren't even real Communists anymore after seeing 100% government owned businesses were not moving them forward fast enough. So they tossed in some capitalism. Now they have to deal with private enterprises and income equality..the exact things Mao railed against and had their revolution for.

They can pull the plug on Jack Ma but not millions of little Jack Mas. In fact they are already seeing people hedging their bets by moving their money out of the country so the Government can't get it if they suddenly drop the hammer.

 

[Song Hong]

Well the Communists aren't even real Communists anymore after seeing 100% government owned businesses were not moving them forward fast enough. Now they have to deal with private enterprises and income equality..the exact things Mao railed against and had their revolution for.

They can pull the plug on Jack Ma but not millions of little Jack Mas. In fact they are already seeing people hedging their bets by moving their money out of the country so the Government can't get it if the government suddenly drops the hammer.

Privatizing profit and socializing loss, you can argue US is not capitalism but rather oligarchy.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

Privatizing profit and socializing loss, you can argue US is not capitalism but rather oligarchy.

How can you say the US is more of an oligarchy than China?

Are a few rich people in the US really more powerful than basically the almost permanent inner circle of the Communist party? I don't think so.

You can however claim that true power in the US can come with popularity. No one is questioning that someone like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or the late Steve Jobs holds more high support by the people than most politicians...and if they had some personal agenda they wanted pushed through the Government I'm sure they could gather enough popular support to make it happen.

But if you were some old crony billionaire who was trying to secretly push something unpopular he would likely get outed and given such PR damage that he wouldn't be able to live the life he wanted anymore.

 

[Song Hong]

How can you say the US is more of an oligarchy than China?

Are a few rich people in the US really more powerful than basically the almost permanent inner circle of the Communist party? I don't think so.

You can claim that true power in the US can come with popularity. No one is questioning that someone like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, or the late Steve Jobs holds more high support by the people than most politicians...and if they had some personal agenda they wanted pushed through the Government I'm sure they could gather enough popular support to make it happen.

There are power people in China such as Jack Ma, but when CPC decided to take action, Jack Ma simply needs to retire.

In 2008 blown up, almost no one in TBTF banks go to jail.

 

[etylo]

Because the Japanese were just a short-term problem while the Communists were a long-term one.

Thats the stupid judgement Jiang had formed about Japanese, they wanted to literally eliminate Chinese race or make them forever slaves as Japanese comfirmed their plans after they invaded parts of China. Thats why Jiang and KMT lost the civil war.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

In 2008 blown up, almost no one in TBTF banks go to jail.

That's because the root cause of the blowup was the Liberals in the Government wanting to increase the number of homeowners in the US by encouraging banks to give mortgages to people who previously were considered too much of a high risk...under the pretext of "undoing decades of racism and income equality in bank lending".

Well those toxic mortgages that couldn't be paid back caused the crash.

 

[Song Hong]

That's because the root cause of the blowup was the Liberals in the Government wanting to increase the number of homeowners in the US by encouraging banks to give mortgages to people who previously were considered too much of a high risk...under the pretext of "undoing decades of racism and income equality".

Well those toxic mortgages that couldn't be paid back caused the crash.

This is because US is a feudal states. The criminals are bosses. The police work for criminals.