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The Cultural Revolution required Mao's charisma; many young people embraced the insanity of the movement. Xi can't pull it off. China is no longer for any political, economic, or military ideology, not even for personal fame and fortune. The sole objective is to pamper its General Secretary's paranoia and vanity. The government needs absolute power to prevent anyone from speaking ill of its leader. Maoism is exhorted in order to return to totalitarianism, and to justify personal sacrifice. It is a Long March back to the hermit kingdom.

Socialism must evolve to fascism once it can no longer promote internal revolution, because that would destroy its leadership. Enemies change from rich capitalists to minorities and foreigners. Utopia isn't a future of equality, but a return to the past when the revolution was young.

I can see China invading one of the smaller Taiwanese islands right off its coast, causing a cessation of trade with East Asia and the West. Its huge manufacturing base will have insufficient demand. They will import food and energy from Russia, an alliance of neo-fascists. And everyone will be worse off, except perhaps India.

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Guess the Cultural Revolution and what's going on with Chinese youth is occuring in the same country. Otherwise, there's little similar. For one, China isn't anywhere as young as it was during the Cultural Revolution, which means revolutions/mass unrest/chaos of any kind is very unlikely.

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Here's the characters in case they're helpful: 吃苦

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