- 28 Jun 2021 17:41
#15178875
[Forward] Xi Jinping and Hitler: A comparative analysis
Writer: SD Pradhan in Chanakya Code, World, TOI
From: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blo ... -analysis/
The manner in which Xi is pursuing policies for self-projection and ensuring loyalty of the CCP members reminds us how Adolf Hitler manoeuvred to grab power in his country. Hitler’s most important step was to declare himself as the Fuhrer and assumption of the powers of Reich Chancellor after the death of President von Hindenburg in August 1934. Soon after on 20 th August, 1934, the longstanding oath taken by state officials was changed so that they no longer swore loyalty to the German constitution but rather to Hitler as head of state. With hindsight, it is clear that this was yet another step towards consolidation of power but at that time the Germans thought that this was to convey that Hitler’s will was the same as that of the nation and the people. They perceived that the oath aimed at equating Hitler’s authority with the constitution and that his authority would be limited by the primacy of law and duty in public office. It is true that he represented the perceived sense of injustice done to Germany at the Treaty of Versailles. Hence, he was acceptable to most of the Germans. He became the most powerful person in the country through a combination of force, political arrests, and exile. He eliminated all those who could oppose him. Alongside, deification campaign was launched portraying Hitler as a messianic figure through posters, print media, radio messages and films.
Xi Jinping has similarly soon after taking over as the President of China in December 2012, declared himself as the ‘core leader’ of the CCP doing away with the collective leadership. He got himself equated with Mao. Today Xi Jinping is the most powerful leader in China: General Secretary of the Communist Party, Chair of the Military Commission and President of the People’s Republic of China. He has installed himself as the head of new bodies overseeing the Internet, government restructuring, national security, and military reform, and has effectively taken over the courts, the police, and the secret police/intelligence. His name and philosophy were added to the party constitution in 2017, and the following year he successfully pushed for the abolition of presidential term limits and thereby ensuring his continuation for life. Like Hitler, Xi has eliminated all those who could oppose him, through several purges in the name of removing corrupt members. The Politburo is now filled with his loyalists.
Another important step taken recently by Xi Jinping is the publicly administering the loyalty pledge to senior party leaders calling them to follow the “leadership core” of the CCP and strive for country’s modernisation and national rejuvenation. This year the CCP is celebrating its centenary celebrations with several events planned from 1 st July. During his visit to an exhibition at the newly inaugurated museum of CCP, Xi administered the pledge, which was telecast by state-run television channels. Xi was reported to have said according to state-run Xinhua news agency: "It is necessary for them to strengthen their awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central party leadership.” The wordings of the pledge were carefully chosen to get the commitment of the members towards the ‘core leader of the CCP’ and willingness to sacrifice everything for the party. He exhorted the members to remain confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with the Chinese characteristics. His entire speech appeared to be based on ultra-nationalism like fascism.
There are several other similarities between Xi and Hitler. The overall objective is also similar. Xi like Hitler has ambition to dominate the global order. If Hitler wanted to extend his empire based on lebensraum, Xi is also making assiduous efforts for expansion based on the Chinese Dream of restoring (imaginary) dominance that China enjoyed in the past. Xi is trying to destabilise the balance of power to establish his hegemony. Xi has gone systematically to achieve this objective.
While Hitler used the muscle power, Xi is using not only muscle power but also economic power to achieve his objective. The debt trap diplomacy, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, is employed to obtain strategic concessions. In addition, Xi is changing the facts on the ground to justify the Chinese claims.
Xi’s heavy reliance on propaganda based on mendicity, misinformation and deceit, appears very close to Hitler’s policy of propaganda. Hitler’s two aims of propaganda were to disrupt the then existing order and fight for the purpose of securing power. Xi has adopted this policy. The Three warfares doctrine is precisely aimed at gaining power and disrupt the existing order. Like Hitler, Xi believes that effective means of psychological campaign could turn lies into truths resulting in the change the perception of people.
If Hitler had formed the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, known by its German initials as the RMVP for propaganda, Xi in 2012 had form a group of 13 ministries and organisation to cook up facts for propaganda and he is now using different innovative ways for publicity of his views. The use of social media has multiplied several times for propagating Chinese views and claims. Big data, which is stolen or acquired through other illegal means, is being for specialised influence operations.
Like Hitler, Xi has great dislike for minorities. While Hitler targeted Jews, Gypsies (Roma and Sinti), homosexuals, communists and other political dissidents, and those Germans who were viewed as inferior; Xi has launched genocide against Uyghur Muslims, indulged in the repression of Tibetans and Mongolians. Xi’s re-education camps are comparable to concentration camps of Hitler. However, Hitler was more explicit in defining the ‘enemies of Germany’ domestically. But both enacted laws to suppress any opposition to the regime. Xi has advantage of internet to keep surveillance over the minorities and those who could oppose him.
Xi has focussed on manufacturing lies to strengthen its claims in the periphery. Since coming into power, Xi has tried hard to convince its population that the areas in its periphery belonged to China, which were lost to imperial and colonial forces. This justification is given that resembles Hitler’s demand for Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. As Hitler had become more aggressive finding lack of strong opposition from other powers, Xi, after showcasing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation, is indulging in encroachment acts in its periphery with impunity. Xi hopes one day the International Community that had accepted the transfer of Sudetenland at the Munich Conference in 1938, his claims on the nine dash-lines in the South China Sea and in the Indo-Tibetan border would also be accepted.
Lastly, if Hitler was accused of starting the World War II resulting in the loss of lives of millions of peoples, the perception that Xi is responsible for the Covid-19 has taken the shape of firm belief resulting in the death of millions of peoples. If the Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations, the demand for reparations to be realised from China is growing.
Whether Xi meets the same fate like Hitler or not would be known later as the situation unfolds. The future historians would examine why the International Community tolerated Xi’s aggressive policies for so long as also their limitations and compulsions. Why anti-Chinese alliances took so much time to come into existence to contain China? Was the International Community inveigled by the Chinese projection of its ‘Peaceful Rise’? While these issues would be scrutinised in future, the early indications are that the International Community is no more willing to tolerate Xi-led aggressive China.
Writer: SD Pradhan in Chanakya Code, World, TOI
From: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blo ... -analysis/
The manner in which Xi is pursuing policies for self-projection and ensuring loyalty of the CCP members reminds us how Adolf Hitler manoeuvred to grab power in his country. Hitler’s most important step was to declare himself as the Fuhrer and assumption of the powers of Reich Chancellor after the death of President von Hindenburg in August 1934. Soon after on 20 th August, 1934, the longstanding oath taken by state officials was changed so that they no longer swore loyalty to the German constitution but rather to Hitler as head of state. With hindsight, it is clear that this was yet another step towards consolidation of power but at that time the Germans thought that this was to convey that Hitler’s will was the same as that of the nation and the people. They perceived that the oath aimed at equating Hitler’s authority with the constitution and that his authority would be limited by the primacy of law and duty in public office. It is true that he represented the perceived sense of injustice done to Germany at the Treaty of Versailles. Hence, he was acceptable to most of the Germans. He became the most powerful person in the country through a combination of force, political arrests, and exile. He eliminated all those who could oppose him. Alongside, deification campaign was launched portraying Hitler as a messianic figure through posters, print media, radio messages and films.
Xi Jinping has similarly soon after taking over as the President of China in December 2012, declared himself as the ‘core leader’ of the CCP doing away with the collective leadership. He got himself equated with Mao. Today Xi Jinping is the most powerful leader in China: General Secretary of the Communist Party, Chair of the Military Commission and President of the People’s Republic of China. He has installed himself as the head of new bodies overseeing the Internet, government restructuring, national security, and military reform, and has effectively taken over the courts, the police, and the secret police/intelligence. His name and philosophy were added to the party constitution in 2017, and the following year he successfully pushed for the abolition of presidential term limits and thereby ensuring his continuation for life. Like Hitler, Xi has eliminated all those who could oppose him, through several purges in the name of removing corrupt members. The Politburo is now filled with his loyalists.
Another important step taken recently by Xi Jinping is the publicly administering the loyalty pledge to senior party leaders calling them to follow the “leadership core” of the CCP and strive for country’s modernisation and national rejuvenation. This year the CCP is celebrating its centenary celebrations with several events planned from 1 st July. During his visit to an exhibition at the newly inaugurated museum of CCP, Xi administered the pledge, which was telecast by state-run television channels. Xi was reported to have said according to state-run Xinhua news agency: "It is necessary for them to strengthen their awareness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central party leadership.” The wordings of the pledge were carefully chosen to get the commitment of the members towards the ‘core leader of the CCP’ and willingness to sacrifice everything for the party. He exhorted the members to remain confident in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with the Chinese characteristics. His entire speech appeared to be based on ultra-nationalism like fascism.
There are several other similarities between Xi and Hitler. The overall objective is also similar. Xi like Hitler has ambition to dominate the global order. If Hitler wanted to extend his empire based on lebensraum, Xi is also making assiduous efforts for expansion based on the Chinese Dream of restoring (imaginary) dominance that China enjoyed in the past. Xi is trying to destabilise the balance of power to establish his hegemony. Xi has gone systematically to achieve this objective.
While Hitler used the muscle power, Xi is using not only muscle power but also economic power to achieve his objective. The debt trap diplomacy, known as the Belt and Road Initiative, is employed to obtain strategic concessions. In addition, Xi is changing the facts on the ground to justify the Chinese claims.
Xi’s heavy reliance on propaganda based on mendicity, misinformation and deceit, appears very close to Hitler’s policy of propaganda. Hitler’s two aims of propaganda were to disrupt the then existing order and fight for the purpose of securing power. Xi has adopted this policy. The Three warfares doctrine is precisely aimed at gaining power and disrupt the existing order. Like Hitler, Xi believes that effective means of psychological campaign could turn lies into truths resulting in the change the perception of people.
If Hitler had formed the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, known by its German initials as the RMVP for propaganda, Xi in 2012 had form a group of 13 ministries and organisation to cook up facts for propaganda and he is now using different innovative ways for publicity of his views. The use of social media has multiplied several times for propagating Chinese views and claims. Big data, which is stolen or acquired through other illegal means, is being for specialised influence operations.
Like Hitler, Xi has great dislike for minorities. While Hitler targeted Jews, Gypsies (Roma and Sinti), homosexuals, communists and other political dissidents, and those Germans who were viewed as inferior; Xi has launched genocide against Uyghur Muslims, indulged in the repression of Tibetans and Mongolians. Xi’s re-education camps are comparable to concentration camps of Hitler. However, Hitler was more explicit in defining the ‘enemies of Germany’ domestically. But both enacted laws to suppress any opposition to the regime. Xi has advantage of internet to keep surveillance over the minorities and those who could oppose him.
Xi has focussed on manufacturing lies to strengthen its claims in the periphery. Since coming into power, Xi has tried hard to convince its population that the areas in its periphery belonged to China, which were lost to imperial and colonial forces. This justification is given that resembles Hitler’s demand for Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. As Hitler had become more aggressive finding lack of strong opposition from other powers, Xi, after showcasing the Chinese Dream of great rejuvenation, is indulging in encroachment acts in its periphery with impunity. Xi hopes one day the International Community that had accepted the transfer of Sudetenland at the Munich Conference in 1938, his claims on the nine dash-lines in the South China Sea and in the Indo-Tibetan border would also be accepted.
Lastly, if Hitler was accused of starting the World War II resulting in the loss of lives of millions of peoples, the perception that Xi is responsible for the Covid-19 has taken the shape of firm belief resulting in the death of millions of peoples. If the Treaty of Versailles imposed reparations, the demand for reparations to be realised from China is growing.
Whether Xi meets the same fate like Hitler or not would be known later as the situation unfolds. The future historians would examine why the International Community tolerated Xi’s aggressive policies for so long as also their limitations and compulsions. Why anti-Chinese alliances took so much time to come into existence to contain China? Was the International Community inveigled by the Chinese projection of its ‘Peaceful Rise’? While these issues would be scrutinised in future, the early indications are that the International Community is no more willing to tolerate Xi-led aggressive China.
- By Unthinking Majority
- By Saeko
- By Tainari88
- By MistyTiger