Treatment of People

In countries that there is a dictorship or communist government the people are controlled by the government. They set the laws that are to be obeyed and the people follow. Mao had high hopes for China and wanted to change it to be a major competitor in the world. To achieve this he needed the people to follow his teachings and therefore the Little Red Book was an important part of everyone's lives.

The Red Guards were the enforcers of the rules. Cunxin talks of how they made the counter-revolutionaries walk through public places with blackboards around their necks. Humiliation is a method used not only by the Red Guards but often in situations where one person or a group have power over another. It has always amazed me that sometimes those in power need to feel bigger than they already are and do this through making others feel smaller.

Hitler did not use humiliation as much as other corrupt leaders. He tended to use brute force. When you want something out of someone you just beat it out of them. The Red Guards also used force and did not care whether they were woman, man or child. This is just another situation where people abuse their power. Some people go out of their way to make those around feel powerless because as one loses power the other gains it.

Today think about the treatment of others. Think of what you have seen, read and heard. What do you think is appropriate or inappropriate? Have you ever felt powerless? Have you ever been the one to have the power? Record your thoughts in blog. Remember that you must proofread so that you can eliminate small errors.