For the imbecile that down-voted me, it is estimated that Mao was responsible for several times as many deaths as Hitler. Estimates range all the way from 40 million to 100 million people.
You don’t have to be a Nazi to see that ~100 million people dead because of Mao is worse than ~20 millions dead because of Hitler.
Unless you value Chinese lives less than European lives.
To gain power of an entire country like China, Mao had to be very intelligent. Him not being informed of the consequences of his policies is highly unlikely. It is dangerous to say that he was ignorant, because it gives you an excuse to absolve him of some of his guilt. You are downplaying how bad he really was. This is not fair. Mao ruled China for 33 years and has caused more destruction in his own country than most rulers (if not all) in recorded history.
I’m not absolving anything. I’m not downplaying anything. I don’t care enough to make an argument one way or another. I’m simply saying that motives should count for something when making grandiose claims about who the worst person in all history is.
vegantomato@lemmy.world 6 months ago
For the imbecile that down-voted me, it is estimated that Mao was responsible for several times as many deaths as Hitler. Estimates range all the way from 40 million to 100 million people.
You don’t have to be a Nazi to see that ~100 million people dead because of Mao is worse than ~20 millions dead because of Hitler.
Unless you value Chinese lives less than European lives.
Lycerius@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Most of Mao deaths, terrible though they are, were not intentional like those of his two peers.
vegantomato@lemmy.world 6 months ago
To gain power of an entire country like China, Mao had to be very intelligent. Him not being informed of the consequences of his policies is highly unlikely. It is dangerous to say that he was ignorant, because it gives you an excuse to absolve him of some of his guilt. You are downplaying how bad he really was. This is not fair. Mao ruled China for 33 years and has caused more destruction in his own country than most rulers (if not all) in recorded history.
Lycerius@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I’m not absolving anything. I’m not downplaying anything. I don’t care enough to make an argument one way or another. I’m simply saying that motives should count for something when making grandiose claims about who the worst person in all history is.