West miscasts Tiananmen protesters

While scanning the coverage of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, I found this interesting editorial, which questions the depiction of the student protesters as pro-democracy.

The truth is that the students in the square had only the haziest
understanding of western-style democracy. To the extent that the
protests were directed at abuses of an existing system by an emerging
elite, they were motivated more by outrage at the betrayal of socialist
ideals than by aspirations for a new system. The mood in the square was
at least as much conservative as it was activist.

Such
arguments may seem arcane two decades later. But, in my view, they are
keenly relevant. The styling of Tiananmen as a pro-democracy movement
helped to miscast the west’s narrative on China’s past and future.–James Kynge, Financial Times

View Comments

  • Democracy is a socialist ideal. So, if the protesters abhored the betrayal of socialism and democracy, then they were pro-democracy. Is "progressive" only applicable to pro-capitalists in your world?

Share
Published by
Dennis G. Jerz

Recent Posts

The choreographer daughter is doing a thing.

The choreographer daughter is doing a thing.

1 hour ago

So I’m starting a thing. Wish me luck. #blender3d #medieval #york #mysteryplay #corpuschristi

So I’m starting a thing. Wish me luck. #blender3d #medieval #york #mysteryplay #corpuschristi

3 hours ago

No interior yet. Getting there. Gotta start somewhere. Low-poly background detail for a medieval theater project. #blender3d

No interior yet. Getting there. Gotta start somewhere. Low-poly background detail for a medieval theater…

9 hours ago

This is manageable. Far better than some semesters.

This is manageable. Far better than some semesters.

1 day ago

Creating textures for background buildings in a medieval theater simulation project. I can always improve this later. #blender3d

Creating textures for background buildings in a medieval theater simulation project. I can always improve…

2 days ago

Yesterday my stack of unmarked assignments was about 120, so this is not bad.

Nothing in this stack is pressing, but they do include rough drafts of final papers,…

3 days ago