If an invasion force landed here with a plan to take our wealth and our freedom, we’d all recognize it and take up arms to defend ourselves. What if the threat was already among us and so pervasive in our society that dramatic shifts of power go unnoticed and unchecked? Many consider the recent election of Donald Trump and Republican control of a majority of our legislative bodies as a mysterious anomaly, driven by bigotry and greed. But is it really? Are there examples in history where an authoritarian body seized control by attacking the very political and cultural fabric of the society they swore to protect?
There may be one in the titular enemy of our new President-elect: China.
In the early 1960s China suffered through several years of drought that left many of its people starving and impoverished. At the time, the county’s economy was largely agricultural, and the Communist party had solidly blocked external communications with the rest of the world. Not only was there no money from the nascent industrial sector to buy relief, the rest of the world was not even aware this was happening. It has been estimated 3 million Chinese citizens starved to death.
In response to the economic distress, the single controlling political party in China set in motion the “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” to root out and purge the remnants of traditional Chinese culture. It was claimed that China’s troubles were caused by elites, academics and artists who were not contributing as much effort as rural farmers and manual laborers. This message was distributed through party controlled media and mass rallies organized by political operatives throughout the country. Young thugs harassed, beat and
killed merchants and professors. Millions of urban citizens were forced from their homes and relocated to rural compounds. At a minimum, the death toll at the hands of the Red Guards exceeded 400,000.
This was all misdirection. The Chinese Communist Party was incapable of assisting its suffering working class and, fearing a revolt among its citizens, created a narrative that pitted the Chinese people against each other. Rather than admitting the party was not omnipotent and seeking help from the outside world, they created an artificial bogeyman to deflect the blame for their failure.
The Cultural Revolution ended in 1971, but had lasting effect on China. Relentless propaganda continues and the country has a military indistinguishable from the police to keep the working class in check. A single ethic group (Han) dominate all political and business leadership. The government enforces a weirdly conservative morality and leadership of remaining religions are appointed by the Communist party. All major industries; banking, defense, energy, communications, the media and all natural resources are owned and controlled by members of the Communist Party.
If you were to ask any American citizen to describe a society that is not free, most would name China. Many American’s say words like ‘Communism’ and ‘Socialism’ with a sneer to indicate their distaste for an authoritarian and abusive government that keeps the center of wealth and control in the hands of just a few. Most believe the abuses of the Chinese Communist party could never happen here.
In the United States today, the Republican party now controls all branches of our national government and a majority of state governments. This rise to power is the result of relentless propaganda through corporate controlled media, a tainted system that is now being institutionalized by the President-elect. While supporting an indefensible candidate for President, the religious right advocates the imposition of conservative Christian morality as the basis of government. Academic ‘Elites’ and minorities, both ethnic and religious, are being spurned 
and harassed by thugs inspired by the Republican party’s leadership. An unprecedented number of Mr. Trump’s cabinet positions are being filled by working or retired generals, presaging an increased focus of the military on domestic control.
The manufactured fear and distrust among the American people is very much like it was in the Chinese cultural revolution, and now the party in power appears to be moving to solidify their lock on the American people.
If you believe all this is just paranoid blather, consider this:
Last week Donald Trump’s transition team has requested the names of all employees of the Department of Energy who have a role in the current administration’s position on Climate Change. There is no other reason to request this information except for a planned purge and suppression of information that may be detrimental to the profits of energy corporations. In other words, at the direction of Donald Trump, scientists who are working to save our planet from ecological disaster could be silenced to insure the wealth of the 1%.
Have we witnessed an American Cultural Revolution, executed by the corporate-controlled Republican Party and cheered on by the willfully ignorant in the white working class? Will Donald Trump purge rational but disloyal leadership that oppose his actions and policy? Will Steve Bannon-style propaganda be leveraged to suppress free and independent news media? Will the awesome capabilities of the NSA’s domestic surveillance system, equivalent to those in China, be used to eliminate dissent?
Perhaps.
What happens now depends on us recognizing the threat and mobilizing to insure this regime leaves office with our diverse culture and integrity as a nation intact. Maybe it is time for the American people to have a subtle revolution of our own. Call it the American Spring.
Submitted by J. Miller
I think you are correct in locating the source of the reactionary movement and the devolution of democracy in American politics. It is also not dissimilar to the McCarthy era, when people looked for sources outside of themselves for real or perceived failures in national life. The only thing to do is to push back and push back hard.