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To: Zhang Fei

Are there no Washingtons in China?


25 posted on 12/18/2011 7:00:58 PM PST by Last Dakotan
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To: Last Dakotan
Are there no Washingtons in China?

During the imperial era, the penalty for (unsuccessful) sedition used to be what might loosely be translated as the nine kinship exterminations, i.e. all your friends and relatives in every direction, typically resulting in the slaughter of thousands or even tens of thousands. Back then, the only reason to bet it all was to win it all (i.e. become emperor in place of the existing one). Today, the state's punishments are nowhere near as rigorous, so who knows?

Throughout Chinese history, there have been plenty of political adventurers with an eye for the main chance, but no one, to date, with the Cincinnatus-like character of Washington* combined with both political and military ability. Then again, the guy isn't simply a unique character in American history, he's one in world history.

* Mao had Washington's political and military ability, but was merely another Chinese emperor, an absolutist who killed more Chinese than the sum of the emperors who came before him.

26 posted on 12/18/2011 7:21:28 PM PST by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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