The Shared Tactics of Communist Regimes and Woke Cancel Culture

Examining the Similarities in Methods of Ideological Enforcement, Political Repression, and Social Control

While cancel culture and Woke activism have been lauded by some as a means of holding people accountable and promoting progress, they can have a chilling effect on free speech and open dialogue, as well as perpetuating a culture of intolerance and tribalism. In this article, we will explore the potential dangers of cancel culture and Woke activism, and consider how they can impede rather than facilitate progress towards a more equal and free society.

Regimes Compared

Leninism, which emerged under Vladimir Lenin's leadership, emphasized the importance of a vanguard party and the use of violence to achieve political goals. Leninism sought to impose a particular ideology on society and viewed dissent as a threat to its power. While Woke culture shares some similarities with Leninism in terms of its emphasis on ideology and suppression of dissent, it does not necessarily focus on state ownership of the means of production or the establishment of a planned economy.

Stalinism was a regime that emerged in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin's leadership. It sought to establish a single, totalitarian ideology that would be imposed on all citizens. Stalinism relied on the use of fear and intimidation to silence dissent, as well as state control of the economy and violent purges to maintain power. While Woke cancel culture shares some similarities with Stalinism in terms of silencing opposing views through public shaming and intimidation, it does not rely on state control of the economy to the same extent as Stalinism.

The Khmer Rouge was a regime that emerged in Cambodia in the 1970s. It emphasized radical egalitarianism and sought to eliminate perceived class enemies through the use of violence. The Khmer Rouge aimed to uproot traditional power structures and replace them with a new social order. While there are similarities between the Khmer Rouge and Woke culture in terms of their aim to create a new social order, the Khmer Rouge relied heavily on forced labor and the elimination of educated classes, which are not as evident in Woke culture, where the institutions of education are leveraged to “conscientize” activists.

Mao's Cultural Revolution, which took place in China during the 1960s and 1970s, aimed to eliminate perceived "bourgeois" elements from society and promote a new revolutionary culture. The Cultural Revolution resulted in the suppression of dissent and the use of "struggle sessions," where individuals were publicly shamed and forced to confess to their supposed crimes. This practice is reminiscent of cancel culture's public shaming and contemporary DEI practices like coercing confessions of "privilege."

A man is publicly shamed in a ‘struggle session’ in Mao’s Cultural Revolution

These tactics during the Cultural Revolution eventually led to a high degree of violence, mass mobilization, and terror tactics, some of which we see emerging today, although they are not entirely foreign to Western activism. The shared root of Marxist rhetoric led to the formation of left-wing terror groups like the Marxist-Leninist Red Army Faction in Germany and the Communist Weather Underground in the United States, who bombed the Capitol Building.

The Western Woke movement, with its emphasis on social justice, can be traced back through Critical Pedagogy to the Frankfurt School and Marxist antecedents. While Critical Pedagogy purports to create critical thinkers in the educational context, its facilitators employ a political "conscientization" technique that prioritizes the creation of activists over knowledge and skills development. In fact, Critical Pedagogy explicitly condemns political neutrality in education. One of its prominent figures, still active today is William Ayers, a former member of the Weather Underground.

“As long as it’s based on profit, we’ll have the violence to oppose it.”
Bernadeen Dohrn in an interview with Phil Donahue alongside William Ayers

Similarly, Mao's Cultural Revolution relied heavily on the education system to form the Red Guard, a paramilitary organization of young people who carried out Mao's political agenda. The Red Guard was formed through Mao's vision of “re-educating” China's youth, which involved the elimination of traditional education and the promotion of Maoist ideology. Students were encouraged to criticize, physically attack, and sometimes even kill their teachers and other authority figures who were seen as bourgeois or reactionary. In this way, the education system was used as a tool for political indoctrination and activism, much like how Critical Pedagogy emphasizes the importance of politicizing education to generate activists.

This has led to growing concerns that Woke cancel culture is leading to a new form of authoritarianism, with echoes of Mao's Cultural Revolution. While there are differences in the specific tactics employed by Mao's Cultural Revolution and Woke cancel culture, there are also clear similarities in their emphasis on rooting out perceived enemies of the revolution, coupled with the suppression of dissent and eventual reliance on violence. These similarities suggest that cancel culture may be the latest manifestation of a broader trend towards authoritarianism in Western societies.

Tactical Playbook

Some specific tactics used during Mao's Cultural Revolution and their parallels in contemporary Woke culture:

1. Public shaming and canceling: One of the key tactics used during Mao's Cultural Revolution was the use of “struggle sessions,” where individuals would be publicly humiliated and forced to confess to their supposed crimes. This tactic has parallels in contemporary Woke culture's public shaming and canceling of individuals who hold opposing views.

2. Ideological purity tests: Mao's Cultural Revolution placed a heavy emphasis on ideological purity and the elimination of “bourgeois” elements from society. This is similar to contemporary Woke culture's focus on “anti-racism,” “social justice,” and other progressive ideologies, and the demonization of individuals or groups who do not subscribe to these beliefs.

3. Suppression of dissent: The Cultural Revolution involved the use of violence and the suppression of dissent in order to maintain control. This is similar to contemporary Woke culture's attempts to silence opposing views through censorship, intimidation, and threats of violence.

4. Cultural revolution: Mao's Cultural Revolution essentially aimed to transform society by creating a new revolutionary culture. This is similar to contemporary Woke culture's focus on changing social norms and values in order to create a more “equitable” society.

These are just a few examples of the specific tactics used during Mao's Cultural Revolution and their parallels in contemporary Woke culture. While there are certainly some differences between the two, there are clear indications that the Cultural Revolution shares more similarities with Woke culture than any other historical regime.

Historical Link and Modern Threat

After Mao's death in 1976, China underwent significant changes, including economic reforms that allowed for a market-oriented economy. However, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) retained its grip on power, and the tactics employed during the Cultural Revolution were not abandoned but rather refined. For example, instead of relying on mass mobilization campaigns and the Red Guards to maintain control, the CCP began to emphasize the importance of “stability maintenance” and “social management” through the use of surveillance technology and censorship.

This has enabled the CCP to maintain a one-party state while allowing for economic growth and modernization. Today, China's government is known for its aggressive tactics in silencing dissent and controlling information, and it is not surprising that these tactics are now being exported abroad as part of China's larger goal of expanding its influence and power.

Recent revelations about CCP aggressive embedded influence in the West, including the Pras Michel case, interference in Canadian elections, and unprecedented intelligence gathering through popular apps like TikTok provide a glimpse into a much larger issue. China has long been known to engage in covert activities, including espionage, propaganda, and disinformation campaigns. These efforts are all part of the CCP's larger goal to displace the United States as the dominant superpower and become the world's preeminent global power.

The CCP's push to displace the US dollar with the Yuan as the global currency is just one example of this ambition. By establishing the Yuan as the world's reserve currency, China could wield even greater economic influence and become less dependent on the US economy. At the same time, China's partnership with Russia and its involvement in conflicts such as Ukraine serve to expand its geopolitical reach and create new spheres of influence.

Demoralization

One objection some might raise to the idea that Woke culture shares similarities with Communist regimes like the CCP is the difference in how they treat different groups. For example, China's own policies regarding people with gender identity issues are far less progressive than those of the West, yet China’s society remains stable on the issue.

This does not necessarily contradict the idea that Woke culture can be employed as a form of demoralization warfare, which is consistent with the CCP's “Three Warfares” concept. In fact, the Western trans movement has been mobilized in ways that are divisive and destabilizing, rather than supportive of social cohesion, often backed by “Antifa” groups carrying Communist flags and sowing agitation, similarly to the way their presence influenced the 2020 George Floyd riots.

A 2021 report on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, indicates that the “Three Warfares” concept, developed by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) suggests the use of demoralization tactics. This is not unique to the CCP, and we should expect such tactics to be employed by any adversary seeking domination.

The report states:

Since at least 2003, the PLA has been developing the “Three Warfares” concept to demoralize adversaries and influence foreign and domestic public opinion during conflicts. Psychological warfare uses propaganda, deception, threats, and coercion to affect the adversary’s decision making, while also countering adversary psychological operations.

Indeed, the tactic of propagandist demoralization of the West is not unique to China’s PLA. KGB defector Yuri Bezmenov from the former Soviet Union described Communist strategies to demoralize the West at length in various interviews given in the 1980s. Given their shared animus with the West, is it any wonder that Xi Jinpeng and Vladimir Putin are joining together?

It is clear that the CCP is engaging in a multi-faceted approach to subvert the West and establish its dominance. From covert operations to economic policies, China is playing a long game that seeks to erode the power and influence of the United States and other Western powers. It remains to be seen how effective these efforts will be, but it is clear that the CCP is not content to simply be a regional power and has its sights set on much greater ambitions.

Consequences of Central Planning

The dangers of central planning, as seen in Mao's Cultural Revolution, are not limited to China. The World Economic Forum's (WEF) advocacy of central planning under the guise of stakeholder capitalism has already had disastrous consequences in Sri Lanka, where the WEF guided environmental central planning of farming led to an economic crash. Similarly, Dutch farmers are pushing back against the government's implementation of WEF-styled measures. The WEF's “Great Reset” agenda, with its emphasis on stakeholder capitalism, is a blueprint for global central planning by proxy. With such an approach, the risks of inefficiency, corruption, and misallocation of resources loom large, and the lessons of history must be heeded.

The potential dangers of a global planned economy, as advocated by the World Economic Forum (WEF) under the guise of stakeholder capitalism, cannot be ignored. The implementation of ESG scores and central bank digital currencies would mean an unprecedented level of centralized control over economic and social activities, echoing the centralized planning seen in Mao's Cultural Revolution and other communist regimes, only this time on a global scale through a Cartel System.

What is particularly concerning is the admiration shown by Klaus Schwab, head of the WEF, for China as a world leader. At Davos, he praised China's “resolute and vigorous” actions in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and referred to China as a “role model” for climate change efforts in his book, The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Such praise for a country with a track record of human rights violations, censorship, and authoritarianism, not to mention its terrible emissions record, raises questions about the true motives of the WEF's push for global systemic change.

If a global planned economy were to be implemented, the potential for abuse of power and corruption cannot be ignored. The lack of competition and market forces could lead to inefficiencies and stagnation in innovation, as well as a lack of incentive for individuals to improve their own lives. The suppression of dissent and elimination of perceived enemies, as seen in Mao's China, could become normalized in a society where dissent is not tolerated.

The parallels between Mao's Cultural Revolution and contemporary Woke culture, with their emphasis on groupthink and suppression of dissent, further highlight the dangers of a global planned economy. It is crucial that we remain vigilant and advocate for individual autonomy and free expression in the face of these potential threats to our fundamental rights and freedoms.

Global Consequences

The similarities between the Cultural Revolution and Woke culture are concerning, especially when considering the potential implications of a global planned economy. If the WEF's goals of systemic change and stakeholder capitalism are achieved, along with the implementation of ESG scores and central bank digital currencies, the result could be a level of government control over economic and social activities not seen before, with the CCP dominant.

World Economic Forum's Klaus Schwab with China's President Xi Jinping. Photo : WEF

WEF Boss Klaus Schwab Says China A ‘Role Model’ For Many Nations

This type of centralized planning has historically resulted in disastrous consequences, as seen in Mao's Cultural Revolution and other communist regimes. The suppression of dissent and elimination of perceived enemies could be amplified in a global planned economy, leading to a chilling effect on free speech and individual rights. The use of “struggle sessions” and public shaming, as seen in Mao's China, could become more prevalent and normalized in a society where dissent is not tolerated.

Furthermore, a global planned economy would give unprecedented power to those in charge, leading to abuse of power and corruption. A globally disrupted price system could have unprecedented consequences, including resource and supply shortages, stagnation due to the lack of market forces and competition, and total economic collapse.

In short, the similarities between Mao's Cultural Revolution and contemporary Woke culture, coupled with the potential for a global planned economy, raise significant concerns about the future of individual rights and freedoms. It is important to be aware of these potential dangers and to continue to advocate for a society that values individual autonomy and free expression.