The Red Guards: and the Psychology Behind it
“God bless me, I didn’t beat anyone back then. If I had beaten anyone how could I have lived with myself all these years?” -Yu, a former Red Guard
Introduction
Some Red Guards even went as far as to denounce their own family members and have them arrested for criticizing Mao. The Red Guards were known throughout China for their ruthless behavior. “God bless me, I didn’t beat anyone back then. If I had beaten anyone how could I have lived with myself all these years?” Said Yu, a former Red Guard.
Many Red Guards look back at their actions and now regret horribly what they have done. So what influenced them to commit such terrible acts? What were the ordinary students, who became perpetrators of mass violence overnight, thinking when they committed such acts? Why did they do it?
Exhibits
Take a look at a former Red Guard, Fang Zhou Muo, who was encouraged by the cultural revolution to condemn his own mother, which led to her being beaten and executed. See how Fang was influenced by the revolution to denounce his own mother.
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Take a look at why the daughter of a high-ranking general, leader of the Red Guard movement, is now apologizing over the killing of a teacher and what kind of effect the Red Guard Movement has on her life right now. "I failed to protect leaders of the school, and this has been a source of lifelong pain and remorse."
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How the youth and particularly students, wee influenced to commit violence. How their impressionable minds were affected by Mao and his propaganda, click here to read more.
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Li Musen was a top commander of the "rebel until the end" Red Guard Camp and remembered when widespread bloodshed was the norm. Read about how Li and others similar to him shared the same experience of killing on a daily basis.
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